Marriage Turban Fez: To Have and to Hold features a traditional Mid-East Turban (male headgear) adorned with a bridal veil bordered by family portraits. Images of a bride (my mother) are interspersed among those of her three daughters, who appear from infancy to adolescence. The piece speaks to enforcing a stronghold on the family group, especially the females, and discouraging separation, growth, and individuation--reflective of a tribe.
The turban, once worn by Arabs and Jews alike, features a pattern that evokes a tallit or Jewish prayer shawl. The tassels embellishing the piece are tzitzit (knotted fringes that traditionally hang from the corners of the shawl) woven in the Sephardic style. Here, each extends from a Star of David inset with an evil eye, a protective amulet. The large mantilla of French lace overlaying the veil is also a reference to the family enterprise and indicative of the marriage of Eastern and Western traditions.
The turban, once worn by Arabs and Jews alike, features a pattern that evokes a tallit or Jewish prayer shawl. The tassels embellishing the piece are tzitzit (knotted fringes that traditionally hang from the corners of the shawl) woven in the Sephardic style. Here, each extends from a Star of David inset with an evil eye, a protective amulet. The large mantilla of French lace overlaying the veil is also a reference to the family enterprise and indicative of the marriage of Eastern and Western traditions.
