Head wrap worn and signed by Erykah Badu: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a long rectangle of orange cloth used as a head wrap by Erykah Badu.

On the left side are several inscriptions by Badu, both handwritten in black marker:

Front, top left corner: [I Cut This in 1/2 I Still Wear The Other Piece / e.b.];

Front, top center margin: [Orange Is My Favorite Color. I Wore This Wrap / in 1998 in the Summer.].

Under the margin inscription are several stains and splotches that she circled and drew arrows to with labels, such as "sweat" "tears" and "Make / up."

In the center of the rectangle of cloth is a longer inscription by Badu in green marker: [Peace & Love / Beloved: / the one who possesses this / garment shall be a part of my energy! Remember me when you / remember goodness. Love & Respect to God & you. / e badu]. Above the inscription she drew an ankh and a flower. Below it she drew an outline of her hand.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1998
• Worn by: Erykah Badu, American, born 1971
• Type: headcloths (headgear)
• Medium: cloth with ink
• Dimensions: H x W: 104 1/2 × 26 15/16 in. (265.4 × 68.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Rhythm and blues (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Soul (Music)
• Object number: 2021.102.8
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.