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Ceremonial headdress
Guatemalan
19th century
Object Place: Guatemala
Medium/Technique
Wool, cotton, and silk tapestry, with silk pom-poms and silk and metal tassels
Dimensions
Overall: 3.5 x 30 x 26.8cm (1 3/8 x 11 13/16 x 10 9/16in.)
Other (Pom-pom): 5cm (1 15/16in.)
Other (From side of coil): 51.7cm (20 3/8in.)
Other (Pom-pom): 5cm (1 15/16in.)
Other (From side of coil): 51.7cm (20 3/8in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Gertrude Townsend
Accession Number50.3216
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAmericas, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsCostumes
This ceremonial headdress consists of a long woven band to be wrapped around a woman’s head multiple times in a thick circle. The highly decorated, tassled ends are designed to dangle down around the neck and shoulders. Traditionally, weaving is a female activity among the Kiché Maya people of Guatemala, where this headdress was made.
DescriptionCeremonial headdress worn by Kiché Indians, Totonicopan, western highlands; narrow band of tapestry, all main portion plain red wool wefts with white cotton warps; two ends polychrome silk tapestry with horizontal stripes and a few conventionalized animal forms; ends finished off by long silk and metal tassels; many moth holes.