White handkerchief
Dublin Core
Title
White handkerchief
Description
Vanessa Thornton, a Tee Eva–Ernie K-Doe Baby Doll, performs with a white handkerchief to the music of James Andrews and the Crescent City Allstars band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The white handkerchief used in New Orleans “second-line” dance is an abstract representation of the African-inspired ritual of setting a bird in flight as a part of the services for the deceased, a custom that aligned with Christian funerary symbols. The bird, usually a dove, is said to carry the spirit of the deceased to live with God.
Creator
Photograph by Cedric Ellsworth
Date
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2015
Type
Still Image
Collection
Citation
Photograph by Cedric Ellsworth, “White handkerchief,” Mystery in Motion | Louisiana State Museum, accessed March 29, 2024, https://mysteryinmotion.info/items/show/168.