Hamar Woman
Ethiopia 2013
A young and handsome Hamar woman gazes around the crowded market in the town of Turmi. She wears a necklace that says she is the first wife of her husband…that’s the thick necklace that has a sort of handle looking thing on it. It looks like wood but it is leather and bound with metal…maybe silver, maybe not. It is coated with the red mud slurry with which the Hamar women dress their hair. You can see that the slurry has oozed down her chest. Oooh. So messy. But the Hamar do not mind. I do find their hairstyle attractive, don’t you? She has some beads attached to the ends of some of the braids. Nice touch.
She wears a ‘stole’ of cowrie shells which in ancient times were used as money. And she wears an animal skin…looks like cowhide to me. The Hamar women make beautiful skirts of cowhide and they sometimes drape them over their shoulders, if they have an extra one handy. Usually African women keep their legs covered but don’t mind exposing their breasts. Breasts are for babies and are not erotic to African men. Legs and buttocks are erotic so they are kept under wraps. Under wraps is a good thing.
I don’t know if this woman was aware that I shot this photo. But her posture and attitude could not have been improved if she had been aware. When I am in a market, I try to be unobtrusive. I love a candid shot like this one. I try to compose the shot and I take as many shots as I can. I always say to myself, “one of these will be good” and usually one is.