During the 18th and 19th centuries, no self-respecting gentleman, or scoundrel for that matter, would consider venturing into public without a hat. For the modern-day frontiersman headed for the range, the rendezvous, or the woods, that hasn’t changed. For those hoping to set their headgear apart from the crowd, CLA artist Djuana Tucker has donated a unique quill wrapped rawhide hatband to this year’s fundraising auction.
Typical of Tucker’s work, the piece is constructed with historically appropriate materials. The artist relied on authentic natural dyes to achieve the color palette: madder root for red and Osage orange sawdust, indigo, and madder root to achieve black. The hatband is 22 inches long, with a brain tanned leather lace on each end, ensuring that the piece will fit any size hat.
One of the premiere quill workers in the nation, Tucker is a regular donor to the CLA auction. Though she is firmly grounded in a knowledge of original quillwork, Tucker is a skilled designer in her own right. “I refer to catalogs of museum collections and photographs of original pieces for reference,” she explains, “but I am also inspired by the world around me.” Such an approach affords the artist a good measure of creative freedom. “I tend to focus on design aesthetic and composition rather than perfection in the quillwork pieces I create.”
For further information on the work of the artist, contact:
Djuana Tucker
2539 Angela Drive
Granite City, IL 62040
618-975-8897
Djuana70@yahoo.com
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Photography by Lon Brauer
Text by Joshua Shepherd
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