Bamileke Headdress, Cameroon

A magenta pom pom of feathers, brighter than any sunset on record.

This headdress is Bamileke, from Cameroon, Central Africa, and is contemporary. It is chicken feather. Bamileke feather headdresses of this kind are generally associated with the Cameroon Grassfields, where they appear in dance and festive dress. Long, narrow feathers dyed hot pink fan out in layers from a small, tight center. The tips overlap and curl, giving the whole disc a lively, uneven edge. The color deepens toward the middle. It is 7 inches high and 30 in diameter.

Pink, round and unconcerned with subtlety.