Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

"The Wizard of Woo" cape worn by Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic

African American Museum

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

    Object Details

    Created by

    Jacki Robinson

    Worn by

    Bernie Worrell, American, 1944 - 2016

    Subject of

    Parliament-Funkadelic, American, founded 1955

    Description

    An ankle-length purple microfiber cotton and lamé cape worn by Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic during the 1996 "Mothership Reconnection Tour."
    The exterior of the cape features a swirling design of glittering purple, silver, and gold lamé. The shoulder capelet is adorned with gold cotton embroidery all around. On the back, in large letters, is “THE / WIZARD / OF / WOO” between applique embroidery of stars, a treble clef sign, and a sixteenth note. On the proper left shoulder is more gold embroidery of stars, musical notes, and a treble clef sign. On the proper right shoulder is a large silver cotton embroidery of a grand piano with gold keys, beneath two stars and a sixteenth note. The capelet is edged with a thick cord of twisted purple and gold. It closes at the front via two silver metal star hooks. Beneath the caplet are at least seven clear plastic buttons for detachment. On the inside of the solid purple cotton microfiber of the cape is a white cotton sewn in tag for Jacki Robinson whose named is embroidered in bright blue thread.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Judie Worrell and Bassl Worrell

    Date

    ca. 1996

    Object number

    2021.43.1

    Restrictions & Rights

    Unknown – Restrictions Possible
    Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    capes (outerwear)

    Medium

    cotton (fiber) polyester and lamé with plastic and metal

    Dimensions

    L x W: 54 5/16 × 23 5/8 in. (138 × 60 cm)
    Diameter: 83 7/16 in. (212 cm)

    Place made

    Plainfield, Union County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Costume

    Movement

    Afrofuturism

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Clothing and dress
    Costume
    Costume design
    Funk (Music)
    Instrumentalists (Musicians)
    Men
    Music
    Musicians

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd55d3f77ff-ef30-4830-82c7-faefb37d671a

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2021.43.1

    Discover More

    The Color Purple

    arrow-up Back to top
    Home
    • Facebook facebook
    • Instagram instagram
    • LinkedIn linkedin
    • YouTube youtube

    • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
    • Shop Online
    • Job Opportunities
    • Equal Opportunity
    • Inspector General
    • Records Requests
    • Accessibility
    • Host Your Event
    • Press Room
    • Privacy
    • Terms of Use