Cleopatra costume headband worn by Lauren Anderson: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A snake headband from a Cleopatra ballet costume. The headband features a gold pliable band with braided metallic gold threads around it. The back of the headband appears to have been previously attached with thread but is now separated. The braided metallic thread forms the shape of a snake's head in the front of the headband. The snake's head sticks up from the rest of the headband and has two clusters of small red beads for eyes. There are three strands of beads hanging down from either side of the headband. The beads vary in size and shape and are gold and turquoise in color.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2000
• Designed by: Judanna Lynn, American
• Worn by: Lauren Anderson, American, born 1965
• Used by: Houston Ballet Company, American, founded 1955
• Type: headbands (headgear)
• Medium: synthetic fiber, metallic paint, metal thread, and plastic
• Dimensions: H x W (h: top of snake to bottom of beads; w: closed): 9 × 6 in. (22.9 × 15.2 cm)
• Place used: Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Ballet
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Design
• Object number: 2019.19.5
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Houston Ballet
• 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.