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"Money Hat" - a Palestinian Wedding Headdress

These are photos of a truly extraordinary wedding headdress, known as a Wuqayat al-durahem, or "money hat." It was traditional among the people of Hebron and surrounding villages (Palestine) in the mid 1800's. These headdresses were sometimes owned communally and lent out for a bride to wear during marriage festivities, which are still very important events throughout the Arab world. Collected over 30 years ago in Jerusalem, this example is in fine condition and heavy with hundreds of old coins dating back to the Ottoman sultans' reigns from the 1700's on. The string of colored glass and plastic beads is a later addition, typical of these treasured headdresses that were added to and embellished over generations. This headdress would be a very desirable museum piece for any serious ethnographic collection. For another example, very similar, in the Museum of Mankind, London, see Shelagh Weir's book "Palestinian Costume", 1989 University of Texas Press page 187.

WEDDING CUSTOMS