Exhibit Description: “À la Girafe” Antique Wig

Title: La Première Girafe Wig — Inspired by Zarafa, the First Giraffe in France

Overview:
This exquisite antique wig is styled in a lofty, elegant arrangement reminiscent of the “à la girafe” fashion craze—tall, graceful, and delightfully whimsical. The warm reddish tones and carefully sculpted rolls evoke both the natural allure and exotic flair associated with giraffe spots and long necks.

Historical Inspiration:

In 1826–1827, a young Nubian giraffe named Zarafa journeyed from Sudan to France as a diplomatic gift from Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt to King Charles X. Her arrival in France triggered “giraffemania”: she inspired sweeping cultural fascination, including paintings, poems, music, porcelain, and even a new hairstyle—women began to wear their hair in towering styles known as “à la girafe” 

Zarafa’s trek was extraordinary: carried by camel, she traveled down the Nile, sailed across the Mediterranean to Marseille (where a hole was cut into the ship’s deck to accommodate her long neck), and then trekked 550 miles on foot to Paris over 41 days. Upon her arrival in Paris in June 1827, she was met by massive crowds—reports speak of 600,000 visitors in just one summer.

Zarafa took up residence at the Jardin des Plantes and became an enduring symbol of wonder and beauty in French culture. The hairstyle that captured both her stature and spirit became a signature style of the era—elegantly tall and boldly expressive.

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