About the work
c. 20th century, Brazil. Qatar Museums / National Collection of Qatar, Doha. This headdress of colourful feathers is traditionally worn by men in the Upper Xingu region of Brazil. Women also wear it during the Yamurikumã festival, which honours a powerful ancestral woman; during the ceremony male and female roles are reversed and women wear ornaments usually associated with men, including this headdress. The arrangement of feathers shows how colour and pattern create striking designs while carrying cultural meaning. Shown in Around the World in Jewellery at M7, Doha.
