Man's Headdress
Arts of the Americas
The Ka’apor are known for their spectacular feather ornaments, which they call putir (meaning “flowers”). The finest ornaments, such as this man’s visor and bird-bone flute necklace, are traditionally worn (and the latter played) during naming ceremonies for children. The featherwork art form relates directly to the legendary exploits of the Ka’apor cultural hero Maíra, who created the world and all its peoples and wears regalia of this type. Through stories about Maíra, children learn the symbolism of the ornaments. For example, blue feathers evoke the sky and the supernatural beings who live there. Habitat loss affects birds as well as people, and it may not always be possible to gather the materials to make traditional objects such as these.
MEDIUM
Feathers, cotton cords, bird skins
DATES
20th century
DIMENSIONS
10 x 10 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (25.4 x 26.7 x 3.8 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
64.248.1
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Ingeborg de Beausacq
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Feathered headdress worn by men as a sunshade.
Condition: good
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Kaapor. Man's Headdress, 20th century. Feathers, cotton cords, bird skins, 10 x 10 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (25.4 x 26.7 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Ingeborg de Beausacq, 64.248.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 64.248.1_bw.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 64.248.1_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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