Following an unexpected dinner engagement with paleontologist Dr. Louis Jacobs Chief Shaka Zulu was inspired to craft a suit that gave honor to the ancient Mosassaur, whose teeth were found in Louisiana and Angola, Africa. Shaka’s ornate blue suit presents maps of Africa and Louisiana, magnolia blossoms, the state flower of Louisiana, mosassaurs swimming out of his suit, the word “Mosasaur” emblazoned across his headress and a staff with the Prognathodon Masassor with teeth caste and made at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History FossilLab where the Smithsonian Exhibit Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas. 

Following an enlightening dinner with paleontologist Dr. Louis Jacobs, Chief Shaka Zulu was inspired to create a suit honoring the ancient Mosasaur, a marine reptile that reigned supreme in the Cretaceous seas. Mosassaur fossils have been found in both Louisiana and Angola, Africa, highlighting a shared prehistoric connection between these regions. Chief Shaka’s ornate blue suit features maps of Africa and Louisiana, magnolia blossoms (Louisiana’s state flower), and depictions of mosasaurs emerging from the fabric. The headdress boldly displays the word “Mosasaur,” and a staff adorned with a Prognathodon Mosassaur, complete with teeth cast at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Fossil Lab. This creation symbolizes a bridge between prehistoric times and modern understanding, as showcased in the Smithsonian’s exhibit “Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas”