Accession No
1994.38 A-G
Description
A man's Aztec style fabric headdress [A] with feathers [B-G]. Front of headdress decorated with red, gold and blue-green irridescent fabric; pheasant feathers attached at the top with shorter blue feathers in front; two rectangular flaps attached to the sides of the headband and made of black, gold, blue and irridescent fabric with a fringe of gold plastic beads; disc of black, gold and blue fabric at the back, surrounded with pink feathers; five sets of detached ostrich feathers dyed light blue, dark blue, pink, red and black [B-F]; three detached, very long pheasant feathers [G].
Place
Americas; North America; Mexico
Period
Source
Rostas, Susanna (Dr) [field collector]; Crowther-Beynon Grant [monetary donor]
Department
Anth
Reference Numbers
1994.38 A-G
Cultural Affliation
Conchero
Material
Cloth; Plastic; Feather; Fibre; Pigment
Local Term
Measurements
1220mm
Events
Context (Field collection)
Collected by: Dr. Susanna Rostas in 1993
Event Date 1993
Author: Katrina Dring
Description (Physical description)
Original description, taken from S. Rostas' notes accompanying the objects: 'A) A man's Aztec style headdress made from black velvet-like fabric with cut and appliqued gold plastic and irridescent blue geometric designs. The heddress has curving cheek projections with a central shieldlike forehead. The front of the headdress is attached to a head band, together with two earflaps which are fringed by plastic gold beads. On the back of the head band a disc, surrounded by pink feathers is attached, with a central geometric motif.
B-F) Dyed ostrich plumes which are slotted into the head band. The plumes are in groups of eight feathers, in blue, pink, red, and turquoise, there are ten black feathers.
G) Three long stripped pheasant tail feathers. The ostrich plumes can be removed and carried in a plastic tube when the headdress is not in use. The maker of the headdress 'is unknown as it was purchased from a shop called 'El Faraon' (the pharaoh) but was made by a Conchero'.'
Event Date 1994
Author: maa
Context (Amendments / updates)
Susanna Rostas' notes: 'This manner of selling costumes has come into existence since my last visit to Mexico (79/80) and is possibly indicative of the growth of interest in La Mexicanidad and the more public face that the Concheros now present.'
Event Date 1/3/1994
Author: maa
Context (Display)
Exhibited: On display in " Living Traditions" , CUMAA, from January 1995- August 1996
Event Date 1/1995
Author: Katrina Dring
FM:104995
Images (Click to view full size):
