Neckerchief worn by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This neckerchief was worn by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in the film 12 Years a Slave (2013). The neckerchief is merely a strip of printed cotton cloth with all of the edges cut raw and slightly unraveled. The fabric has a design of medium scale brown floral clusters and dark green vines on a pale green ground. The fabric is purposefully wrinkled and creased, shaped to be draped around the neck similar to a proper scarf or neckerchief.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2013
• Designed by: Patricia Norris, American, 1931 - 2015
• Worn by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, British, born 1977
• Created by: Western Costume Company, American, founded 1912
• Subject of: Solomon Northup, American, 1808 - 1875
• Type: neckerchiefs
• Medium: cotton
• Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 24 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 9 in. (62.2 × 26.7 × 22.9 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Flat): 6 1/2 × 54 in. (16.5 × 137.2 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Men
• Object number: 2015.158.2.4
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Western Costume Company
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.