Van Laoly

OMA TRADITIONAL HEADWRAP

$520

This piece is a beautiful example from a master artisan with a careful hand and attention to detail.

Ms. Van Laoly made this headwrap in 1990 when she was just 30 years old, using the local handspun, indigo-dyed cotton as the base, like many older pieces. However, what distinguishes this textile is that several of the applique pieces for the borders and tsawzah (stripe) motif are also handspun, handwoven cotton, including the red, white, and mustard-hues. This is much harder to find nowadays, as most families prefer to only do hand-dyeing for the large rolls of indigo cotton, and purchase market-bought cloth for the embellishments. Ms. Laoly’s pieces are also distinguished by her tiny ghutsoetsoecheu, the t-shaped stitched patterns in lines.