The African Headdress is formally known as a Gele, and was seen as a symbol of power and status. The history of the head wrap can be traced back to the Nubian empire and ancient Egyptians. Priests, queens, kings and those who had wealth and power adorned themselves with intricate head wraps.

By the 1700’s, the Gele migrated to the America’s. The Gele of African Americans is often associated with stereotypes and was used as a means of oppression. The Negro Act of 1735 was one the first forms of oppression that forced African Americans to wear certain forms of clothing in order to identify a slave from a free black person. Even though, the headdress marked women as slaves they eventually used the head wrap as a means of empowerment.

Original Sold to a buyer in Sydney, NSW
Prints available