The History and Culture of ‘Black Hair’

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Hair-Dressing As A Work Of Art

“Charcoal dust and palm oil are freely used, but should necessity arise the structure must be cut away entirely, as it cannot be ‘undone’”

Date: 1921

Physical Source: Among the Ibos of Nigeria, an account of the curious & interesting habits, customs, & beliefs of a little known African people by one who has for many years lived amongst them on close & intimate terms, by G. T. Basden.

Digital Source: [Schomburg Center]

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, The New York Public Library. "Hair - dressing as a work of art." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1921. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-8721-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

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Two-Sided Head-Shaped Drinking Cup: African and Satyr

Date: c. 470-460 BC

Source: Cleveland Museum of Art

Related Tags: Ancient Classical | Vessels

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Three African American Girls, Galveston, Texas, 1973

Date: April 1973

Photograph by: Danny Lyon

Series: DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, compiled 1972 - 1977

Source: Wikimedia

Related Tags:  70s | 1900s

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Youssouf Sogodogo (published in 2000) - Les Editions de L’Oeil 

[angryafricangirlsunited]

Toubou women: The Tubu or Toubou are an ethnic group that live mainly in northern Chad, but also in southern Libya, northeastern Niger and northwestern Sudan.

[postingwhileblack]

100 years of Black Beauty in Kenya.

Black people are beautiful, no matter what the media says. Know your roots.

#BlackCulture

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Related Tag:  East Africa

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Kindred Combs Have Launched on Etsy!!!

The Short Story Behind This:

The Afro picks I saw in my local stores were plain, and had few designs. I was only able to find the mass-produced combs to use. I saw how African combs had a history of creative look and it led me to take another look at the lifeless combs which did not continue that tradition, and had questionable quality. I thought people of the Diaspora could have something similar to what others before us had.

Each design has a story behind it and I look forward to you to read about them soon.

I trust that these designs can feed into our emotional and cultural side. By making the most of fashion, and history, I have been able to make creative products that fit into your natural hair lifestyle so you can look good in any hairstyle, especially if you choose to wear your comb. This is for people to benefit from feeling a connection with our combs.

This a limited batch of combs at the moment.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/KindredCombs

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Thank you everyone for your likes and reblogs.

Thank you to those who bought a comb. I hope you are still enjoying them.

New May 12th update: All the colors are back up on Etsy now! Aromatic Red, Brown, and Cream.  Yes, the red ones are naturally scented.

Continuing my mission of connecting people with the history Black hair, I made these afro picks out of wood to make the experience little more real for people. These combs each have a story that has been rehashed from African history and cultures. Be my guest, and get your own comb to use, give as a gift, or have as a keepsake.

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Shop

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Wura-Natasha Ogunji and Nicole Vlado / Beauty explored the relationships that women have to each other and to their hair.

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Wooden Afro Picks by Kindred Combs on Etsy

The Aromatic Red Collection will be restocked with just a few more combs by tomorrow, May 10th.

There will be a much larger restock of the Brown Collection later this month.

The Styles available in Red are:

The Diasporic Heart:

This heart symbol was inspired by Sankofa, which would become a symbol of remembrance and history of the tragedy and effects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

The Comb of Geb:

The Egyptian Waterfowl design was inspired by the sacred animal of Geb, the god of earth. Geb is commonly depicted with a goose on his head. Therefore, when one wears the comb in their hair, they become an impression of the ancient god. 

Plain:

For those with a different taste we gladly offer something more simple. 

About Kindred Combs and the History and Culture of Black Hair:

Continuing my mission of connecting people with the history Black hair, I made these afro picks out of wood to make the experience little more real for people. These combs each have a story that has been rehashed from African history and cultures. Be my guest, and get your own comb to use, give as a gift, or have as a keepsake.

Feel free to ask questions about the combs.

Kindred Combs on Etsy

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Shani Crowe on her exhibition, Braids

Many people enjoyed the previous post on Crowe, so here is a continuation.

In a Nutshell

Braids is a new series of photographic portraits and video, portraying the profound beauty and nuanced artistry of hair braiding. Originally conceived in 2002, Braids will finally be produced this fall with the support of this 3AP campaign. Over the next few months, I will braid and style a group of models by incorporating synthetic hair, yarn, and other adornments into a variety of original looks and wearable works of art. Next, I will create a series of photographic and video portraits capturing the completed designs and attempting to contextualize them as an art form.  Braids will culminate in a solo exhibition at Elee.Mosynary Gallery in April of 2016.  As an interdisciplinary artist, I have always wanted to incorporate my braid training into my work, while also asserting my voice into a rich tradition that has become increasingly appropriated in mainstream culture. I want to offer a gesture of genuine gratitude and imagination for my craft amidst the exploitation of trend. With this campaign and your support, I will honor this evolving tradition seated within the crest of the Black feminine experience.

Read the Full Story at 3Arts.org

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Massai

Date: April 1906-1914

Photograph by: Walther Dobbertin

Source: German Federal Archives

Related Tags:  East Africa | Photography: Africa

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Hairstyles

Geographic country: Ghana  Date: 1881-1895 Source: University of Southern California. Libraries

Related Tags: Ghana |  West Africa | Photography: Africa

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Watch This.  Nigerian Hairstyles Through the Years.

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Related Tags:  Nigeria |  West Africa

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@korraled replied to your photoset “Kindred Combs Have Launched on Etsy!!! The Short Story Behind This:...”

ours just arrived. It made a beautiful and useful gift

OMG! I’m wildly excited. It feels so surreal that a comb I made is now in the hands of someone else. Thank you so much for being an amazing supporter.

[afrotexturedhistory]

Kindred Combs Have Launched on Etsy!!!

The Short Story Behind This:

The Afro picks I saw in my local stores were plain, and had few designs. I was only able to find the mass-produced combs to use. I saw how African combs had a history of creative look and it led me to take another look at the lifeless combs which did not continue that tradition, and had questionable quality. I thought people of the Diaspora could have something similar to what others before us had.

Each design has a story behind it and I look forward to you to read about them soon.

I trust that these designs can feed into our emotional and cultural side. By making the most of fashion, and history, I have been able to make creative products that fit into your natural hair lifestyle so you can look good in any hairstyle, especially if you choose to wear your comb. This is for people to benefit from feeling a connection with our combs.

This a limited batch of combs at the moment.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/KindredCombs

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do they have thinner picks?

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The picks are ¼ inch in thickness. At the moment, we cannot make them thinner.

But in case you meant if we have slimmer picks, we actually are working on such designs. The current width of our combs is 2.5 inches, and I think regular plastic picks are usually closer to 3 inches. 

[sinbadism]

Is the wood treated or glazed so that I can use the comb in the shower?

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The wood is coated with a natural waxy oil.

I don’t use glaze or polyurethane because of concerns of it peeling from the abrasion from everyday use. Plus, without the plastic feel of polyurethane you can feel the natural texture of the wood.

The combs are safe to use in the shower, as long as they are allowed to dry soon after, especially before storing away. 

When I used to test out wooden combs I would get them wet repeatedly and used abrasive materials so the would not give a scare when it gets wet.

Also, you don’t even have to worry about the original oil diminishing, as new oil from your scalp or even from hair products will coat your comb.

I hope this answer is good enough. Thank you for your question.

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@50shadesblack: “THE FRO IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD –Black Hairstyles as a Method of Non-Conformist Active Resistance”.

The original post: here 

I think this is a great topic to meditate on. This brings to mind the idea that many argue that Black hair can be political depending how it’s worn.

What comes to mind when you read this prompt? Can you give examples supporting the prompt?

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Meet the artist honoring traditional black hairstyles with incredible braids (Fusion.net)

Shani Crowe is an interdisciplinary artist from Chicago’s south side. The product of an Art rich, Afrocentric upbringing, Shani creates work that is centered on keeping the proverbial flame of cultural coiffure, adornment, and beauty ritual, as they relate to the diasporic African. She seeks to connect with people through her artistic practice to convey a message of love, cultural identity and Black unity and to create a variety of visual and wearable art, prompting a meaningful exchange between the artist and viewer/client. (3Arts)

Crowe on “Why do you think it’s important to preserve black hairstyles?”:

Braiding is a sacred art in a lot of ways because it’s so rich in tradition—a lot of times we don’t really understand how much it means. I’ve always done hair and there were times when [braids] weren’t really as popular and I didn’t do them as much, but [now] all these white girls are coming out wearing cornrows. Someone asked me, “Do you do boxer braids?” and I was like, “You mean box braids? What the hell are boxer braids?” And she was like, “Those braids that Kim Kardashian wears.” Kim Kardashian just has straight-back braids and they aren’t even done that well, they looked pretty popped, and popped in Chicago is not a good thing. Because [braids] are coming out in pop culture and being exploited as a trend in the fashion scene, I think it’s important for me to honor them, before there’s a time when people don’t even remember them as a traditional black art. Plenty of cultures do their own braid styling, but African braiding has its own very long chapter in the history of braiding. I felt charged to make them tangible in a way where I could create an icon that honors my experience with braiding, my love for my clients and a celebration of black feminine beauty coiffeur in my own words, in my own images outside of magazines.

Each image has been captioned.