Lugbara Baby Cover

The Lugbara live in western Uganda, close to the equator. The sun is strong and region experiences frequent downpours during its two rainy seasons. Like most African societies Lugbara women carry their infants on their backs while working in the fields and performing their near constant chores. To protect them from the elements, Lugbara women traditionally covered their infants with woven hoods such as this, tucking the broad flat end into the wrappers that bound their babies tight against them. A different variety of hood also exists without the top-hat finial. These are lighter in color and lack the application of brownish resin that make these hoods particularly water resistant. Neither form have ever been in great supply but the ones with the finial appear to be substantially older. The scoop-like form may be related to rain-gear employed by some groups of forest dwelling pygmies who live in the vicinity: a folding of large fronds that makes a head to waist hood that stays in place through gravity and leaves the hands free. A nearly identical example is illustrated in Marc Ginzberg’s “African Forms”. 20″ long, 10″ wide”.

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