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Headdress
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Hundreds of red tail feathers from the grey parrot (<em>Psittacus</em> <em>erithacus</em>) decorate this disk-shaped headdress. Only the king, some high-ranking individuals, and members of the all-male elephant society—known in different languages as Kuosi, Nekang, or Kem-ndze—wore this prestigious headgear at ceremonies and funerals. Typically, the headdress was worn pushed slightly back from the hairline. When used by members of the elephant society, it was accompanied by a cloth and glass bead mask (<em>mbap</em> <em>mteng</em>) in the shape of that animal, such as 1985.1082.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Bamileke-style maker |
|---|---|
| Date | 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Africa, Central Africa, Cameroon, Grassfields region, Bamileke-style maker |
| Medium | African gray parrot feathers, wood, plant fiber, probably cotton, string, and colorant |
| Dimensions | Diameter: 90 cm (35 7/16 in.) |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Garment |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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