A cotta is a ring of twisted cloth that sits on the head and takes the weight of what is carried on it. This one is made from a flour sack and a strip of a dress, wound and stitched tight.
The woman who made it carried bananas from the field to Boundbrook wharf. Her granddaughter brought it in and we wrote the name down: it is on the record and on the label.
Accession
1957.14.2
Made
c. 1925
Maker
Made by the wearer, Portland
Came from
Boundbrook Wharf, Portland
Material
Cotton cloth
Size
220 mm across
Kept
Ironwork and hand tools
Out on the floor, today, freeIt is in Ironwork and hand tools. Walk in during opening hours and look at it. Nobody will ask you for a ticket or a reason.