Braided Hair Collection

A Tigray woman has a cross of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church tattooed on her forehead while two silver crosses hang round her neck

Two young Pokot girls wearing traditional ornaments that denote their unmarried status. Their broad belts are made with the metacarpus and metatarsal bones of dikdiks interspersed with beads. Kenya

A Pokot warrior wearing a cheetah skin jumps high in the air surrounded by young women to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language

Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900
3666043 Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900 by French Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage, French)

Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900
3666042 Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900 by French Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage, French)

Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900
3666041 Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900 by French Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage, French)

Plaque bearing the portrait of Battista Sforza attributed to Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1502) (stone)
AII80266 Plaque bearing the portrait of Battista Sforza attributed to Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1502) (stone) by Martini, Francesco di Giorgio (1439-1502); Galleria Nazionale delle Marche

Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume at a spinning wheel, 1900
3666045 Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume at a spinning wheel, 1900 by French Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage, French)

Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900
3666044 Vintage, French, postcard depicting a pensive woman in a yellow medieval costume, 1900 by French Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage, French)

Female figure with child (ekwotame), Idoma or Tiv, Nigeria, 19th century (wood)
HSC104299 Female figure with child (ekwotame), Idoma or Tiv, Nigeria, 19th century (wood); height: 68.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Collection Dr. Lawrence R)

Royal
Ojenike Oladapo

Poland, Cracow. Polish girls in traditional dress sitting at the base of the statue of Adam Mickiewicz, preparing to dance in Market Square

A Samburu warrior resplendent with long, braided, Ochred hair. The round ear ornaments of the warriors are fashioned from ivory

Dorothy Bernard, c. 1910 (b/w photo)
778380 Dorothy Bernard, c.1910 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dorothy Bernard (1890-1955) was an American actress of the silent era

Doll, Bagirmi Culture, from Chad (wood)
HSC193974 Doll, Bagirmi Culture, from Chad (wood) by African School; height:26.5 cm; Private Collection; Photo © Heini Schneebeli

Nkishi Figure, Luba Culture, Shandaki, from Democratic Republic of Congo (wood, iron)
HSC193993 Nkishi Figure, Luba Culture, Shandaki, from Democratic Republic of Congo (wood, iron, beads & antelope horn) (see also 193994) by African School; height

Le Deramantnier, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print)
3035605 Le Deramantnier, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print) by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

Charlotte of Savoy, Queen of France, 1445-1483. She wears her hair braided on either side of the face under a crown
FLO4570614 Charlotte of Savoy, Queen of France, 1445-1483. She wears her hair braided on either side of the face under a crown

Girl of Pietraferrazzana, Abruzzo, Italy, 19th century. Her veil is posed to reveal her partially braided hair
FLO4658324 Girl of Pietraferrazzana, Abruzzo, Italy, 19th century. Her veil is posed to reveal her partially braided hair, and her clothes are decorated with gold braid, embroidery and ribbons

Anabaptist milkmaid of the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, 19th century. She carries a pail of milk
FLO4657999 Anabaptist milkmaid of the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, 19th century. She carries a pail of milk and wears a simple cornette cap, braided hair tied with a ribbon

Le Bain, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print)
3035616 Le Bain, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print) by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

L Indifferent, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print)
3035617 L Indifferent, illustration from Les Chansons de Bilitis, by Pierre Louys, pub. 1922 (pochoir print) by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

Young Girl Portrait Oil Painting
Portrait of a Girl with plaited red hair, holding fairy floss (cotton candy), toffee apple and doll from the show (fair). Oil Painting, painted by the photographer

Virgin Mary, 1529 (oil on panel)
3619028 Virgin Mary, 1529 (oil on panel) by Massys or Metsys, Quentin (c.1466-1530); 44x35 cm; Prado, Madrid, Spain; Photo eFine Art Images; Netherlandish, out of copyright

Turkish Girl (w / c on paper)
AGN265320 Turkish Girl (w/c on paper) by Boyce, George Price (1826-97); Private Collection; Photo eAgnew s, London; English, out of copyright

Limestone head of a Woman, resembling Cleopatra VII, c. 50-30 BC (limestone)
XCF306062 Limestone head of a Woman, resembling Cleopatra VII, c.50-30 BC (limestone) by Roman, (1st century BC); height=28 cm; British Museum, London

Mummy Portrait of a Woman, c. 100-10 AD (encaustic on wood, with gilt and linen)
1077646 Mummy Portrait of a Woman, c. 100-10 AD (encaustic on wood, with gilt and linen) by Egyptian, Roman Period (c.30 BC - AD 337); 48x36x12.8 cm; J

Figurine of a girl running, Sparta, 520-500 BC (bronze)
BAL101541 Figurine of a girl running, Sparta, 520-500 BC (bronze) by Greek, (6th century BC); height: 11.4 cm; British Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: left leg below knee has been restored; ); Greek

Portrait of Princess Maria Ivanovna Kotschubei, nee Baryatinskaya, 1842 (oil on canvas)
3617688 Portrait of Princess Maria Ivanovna Kotschubei, nee Baryatinskaya, 1842 (oil on canvas) by Robertson, Christina (1796-1854); Regional Art Museum, Simferopol

Portrait of Princess Maria Ivanovna Kotschubei, 1842 (oil on canvas)
3617690 Portrait of Princess Maria Ivanovna Kotschubei, 1842 (oil on canvas) by Robertson, Christina (1796-1854); 67x53.5 cm; Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia; (add.info.: Princess Maria Ivanovna)

Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) as a child, New Kingdom (limestone)
PWI105197 Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) as a child, New Kingdom (limestone) by Egyptian 19th Dynasty (c.1292-1187 BC); height: 18 cm; Louvre, Paris

Braided traditions
Trevor Cole

African primary school, young girl in the class room, Lome, Togo, West Africa, Africa

A Msai warrior with his long braids and body coated with red ochre mixed with animal fat. He has put ochre dust round his eyes to enhance his appearance ready for a dance

The contrasting leather aprons or skirts of two Nyag atom girls. The skirt on the left is richly decorated with metal and copper beads; the one on the right is embellished with thousands of small

Chinaman
circa 1800: A Chinese man wearing his hair in a long plait, and carrying a fan. (Photo by Edward Gooch/Edward Gooch/Getty Images)

A Wa-Arusha warrior carries home a yoke. His brown necklace is made from aromatic wood. The Wa-Arusha are closely related to the Msai and speak the same _maa language

A Turkana woman, typically wearing many layers of bead necklaces and a series of hooped earrings with an pair of leaf-shaped earrrings at the front, sits in the entrance to her hut

A back view of a Msai warrior resplendent with long ochred braids tied in a pigtail. This singular hairstyle sets him apart from other members of his society

woman braided hair wrapped top head vignette-style
woman with braided hair wrapped at the top of her head, in vignette-style; Thomas Houseworth (American, 1829 - 1915); 1870s; Albumen silver print

Detail of a Msai warriors ear ornaments and other beaded or metal adornments. The Msai practice of piercing ears in adolescence and gradually elongating the lobes is gradually dying out

A young Turkana man with a braided hairstyle

Boy and girl (8-9) playing checkers (B&W), elevated view

A striking old Pokot woman wearing the traditional beaded ornaments of her tribe which denote her married status. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language

A Pokot woman wearing the traditional beaded ornaments of her tribe which denote her married status. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language

Pokot men, women and girls dancing to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language

Pokot women and girls dancing to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. The Pokot are pastoralists speaking a Southern Nilotic language

A Pokot woman in traditional attire dances to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made with the metacarpus and metatarsal bones of dikdiks interspersed with beads

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"Braided Hair: A Cultural Tapestry of Tradition and Beauty" Braided hair has long been a symbol of cultural identity, tradition, and beauty across different regions and communities around the world. From Tigray women in Ethiopia to Pokot warriors in Southern Kenya, braids hold deep significance. In the highlands of Ethiopia, a Tigray woman proudly displays her intricately braided hair adorned with a cross from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This serves as both a religious emblem and an expression of her faith. Meanwhile, during an Atelo ceremony in Kenya, a Pokot warrior leaps into the air wearing a cheetah skin while surrounded by young women. Their own braided hairstyles reflect their pastoralist heritage and speak volumes about their community's customs. Among the Pokot people, even young girls wear traditional ornaments made from hollow reed grass or broad necklaces that signify their uninitiated status or unmarried state respectively. These adornments are not just decorative but also serve as markers within their society. Across continents in Chad, wooden dolls with meticulously braided hair represent Bagirmi culture. The intricate hairstyles on these dolls showcase the artistry and craftsmanship prevalent within this community. Moving further west to Poland, Polish girls donning traditional dress gather at Adam Mickiewicz's statue for dance preparations. Braids play an essential role here too - neatly woven strands accentuate their attire while honoring age-old traditions. The Samburu warriors in Africa take pride in their ochred hair styled into long braids that cascade down their backs. These elaborate hairstyles not only enhance their appearance but also convey strength and bravery within Samburu culture. Even ancient artifacts like Nkishi Figures from Luba Culture in Congo exhibit detailed carvings depicting individuals with beautifully braided hair adorned with beads and antelope horn accessories - showcasing how deeply rooted this hairstyle is throughout history. From illustrations like Le Deramantnier's pochoir print to lithographs of Mrs.