Angisa Tori The Secret Code of Surinamese Headkerchiefs

Angisa Tori is Christine van Russel-Henar’s way to honor Afro-Surinamese women and their creativity.

This lavishly illustrated book takes its readers to a world unknown to most; it is a very dynamic world in which the only authentic Surinamese outfit – the angisa – tells a wealth of stories about traditions and wisdom. In the culture of the Surinamese Creole the angisa is the most important part of a woman’s outfit. The many different methods of folding and tying allow the wearer to signal whether she wants to pick a quarrel, or invites a secret lover, or sends some other message. Furthermore, the angisa has another unique function: it marks historic events.

The cultural heritage, as it is now recorded at the beginning of the twenty-first century, is a treasury for present and future generations. Angisa Tori is a beatiful book for browsing, but at the same time it offers an opportunity to follow the cultural dynamics in the course of time.