Wig (ulumate) Fiji, 1830s

Wig (ulumate) Fiji, 1830s

Human hair, wickerwork, coir, and fiber
Smithsonian Institution, Department of Anthropology, E2909-0
Collected in 1840 during the United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes

EX.8785.215 Photo (c) Museum Associates/ LACMA

This is the most complex type of wig preserved from the nineteenth century. In addition to the near-spherical helmet of human hair, twisted tobe locks are tied across the back to form a cascade over the neck.