The acquisitions in this private collection have been sought out and collected for decades with the goal to preserve unique items that have caught the eye of its purposeful curator. While many private collections remain unseen by the world, this collection’s relics and eccentricities are meant to be discovered and are now being presented to the public.
Traditional Feather Headdress
Materials
Stiff animal hair-like, porcupine hair, moose hair, and deer tail hair would be attached to bone and/or a leather base. The feathers consisted of owl feathers and honorary golden eagle feathers and sometimes bead designs, as seen here, were included.
Description
A Native American headdress, most commonly known as a “War Bonnet,” is associated with around a dozen tribes in the Great Plains that include the Sioux, Blackfeet, Crow, Cheyenne, and Plains Cree. These bonnets were mainly used as ceremonial regalia. This majestic piece is reserved for male chiefs and warriors of the tribe. These headdresses play a big role in ceremonies. Traditionally a golden eagle feather would be earned through an act of bravery or one would be painted to symbolize an act worthy of recognition. The honor these feathers held is so significant that sometimes an individual would only receive a few throughout his lifetime.