Sunday, June 14, 2015

Did Philippine Muslim Women Cover Their Heads in the 1900s?



Group of upper class Muslim women, Sulu, 1900-1910 (heads not covered)

My current novel-in-progress has Muslim women characters in the Philippines in the early 1900s. I am not sure how they would have dressed. In particular, did they cover their heads?


 I grabbed some antique pictures of Filipino Muslim women from the internet to get an idea of how Muslim women dressed over a hundred years ago in Southern Philippines.



Datu and his wife, Zamboanga (head not covered)

It's very interesting: I see some women without head covering, although most of them do. They don't cover their faces nor hands. All the men cover their heads.

If any one has the answer to my question, email me directly. Thank you.


Datu's wife's head covered
Women's heads not covered.  I hope that young woman beside the man is his daughter, not his wife. She's terribly young.
Three out of ten women's heads not covered
This is a wedding picture and the bride's head is covered

Heads covered

Head not covered
Covered
Covered
These are musicians; women's heads not covered
Addendum 6/15/15 -- Academics and others have given me feedback that Muslim women in the Philippines during the 1900s did not cover their heads for religious reasons. If they did, it was to protect themselves from the sun.


Read also
Philippine Passion for Basketball
Recipe for Carol's Cornbread Bibingka
Filipina Muslim Princess Tarhata Kiram
Creative Writing: Make a Date with the Muse
Creative Writing: The Importance of Sensual Writing
Creative Writing: Your Writing Work Space
Tags: Philippines, Philippine, Filipino, Filipina, women, Muslims, Muslim women, Muslim religion, culture, cover heads, Southern Philippines
This is all for now,
Cecilia

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