Feather headdress
mid 20th century
Object PlaceCameroon
Medium/TechniqueFeathers, vine, fiber, cotton cloth, string
DimensionsOverall: 22.9 x 78.7 cm (9 x 31 in.)
Credit LineAnonymous gift
Accession number2009.5358
On View
Not on viewClassificationsTextiles
DescriptionDuring ceremonial occasions, rulers and royal officials in the many kingdoms of the Bamileke peoples in the Grassfields region of Cameroon wear flamboyant headdresses made from feathers, among them the red tail feathers of the grey parrot. Such hats also appear as part of the costume of masked performers. The feathers attach to a mesh cap and the entire headdress can be turned inside out so that the fiber cap protects them.
Provenance1980s, acquired in Paris by by anonymous donors; 2009, anonymous year-end gift to the MFA. (Accession date: January 20, 2010)
mid to late 20th century
20th–mid 20th century
Artist Unidentified