Turkana zipper head dresses

While visiting a rural community in the dry bushlands of Elementata I met some Turkana women who were absolutely captivating

Turkana mama
Turkana mama
Turkana woman
Turkana woman
Turkana girl
Turkana girl
Dancing Turkana woman
Dancing Turkana woman

Did you notice the creative head dresses? Zippers may have been invented in USA but nobody would have imagined they’d be used for head dresses.  I was so awed by the outfits that I forgot to ask where they got all those zippers from – I can’t get rid of the image of all the village men wondering about with gaping flies.

11 thoughts on “Turkana zipper head dresses”

  1. Hi Al, I’m not sure I understand what you mean demeaning, it’s absolutely not my intention. The women were amazing, fun, creative, artistic, beautiful, open and just lovely in every way possible. They danced with us for hours. Is it something I’ve written? Could you elaborate? Paula

  2. This is a fascinating example of how people make use of what is available for devoration. I remember years ago writing an article on the punk movement in UK and how this was nothing new as so many people creatively use what is available for real beauty.
    As we have been working with medicinal plants we have been finding all sorts of uses for plants, including makeup. Mulberry and Bixa are two examples but I am sure there are many more.

  3. Thanks Roger, really appreciate your comment. I was thinking about the global body piercing trends when looking at the Nyangatong lip plugs in Ethiopia…yes its funny how things come around isn’t it? Are you working on medicinal plants in Africa or just in UK? We’ve hardly scratched the surface here on traditional uses of wild plants for foods, cures and other uses.

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