Three Amazonian Ceremonial Feather Headdresses with Ritual Neck Ornaments

Exceptional Group of Three Amazonian Ceremonial Feather Headdresses with Ritual Neck Ornaments, Indigenous Amazon–Andean Transitional Culture, Peru or Bolivia
Late 19th–Early 20th Century

This rare ceremonial ensemble comprises three feather headdresses and accompanying ritual necklaces, reflecting the complex social, spiritual, and cosmological traditions of Indigenous cultures from the Amazonian and Andean frontier regions of South America. Constructed on wooden frameworks and bound with woven camelid fiber and natural plant twine, the headdresses are adorned with an array of vibrant macaw and Amazonian parrot feathers arranged in tall crests and cascading trains.

The central headdress, distinguished by its greater height and density of ornamentation, was likely associated with a ritual leader or individual of elevated status, while the two accompanying headdresses may have been worn by female ceremonial participants. The necklaces incorporate seeds, bone elements, and a complete turtle shell, materials commonly imbued with symbolic meaning related to protection, fertility, and the natural world.The feathers exhibit visible fading and softening of color as a result of age, exposure, and ceremonial use.

male:
40.6 x 15.2 cm
16 x 6 in
trailing 33 cm-13 in

female:
60.9 x 17.7 cm
24 x 7 in
trailing 76 cm-30 in