Bamileke Headdress, Cameroon

A black sunburst made entirely of feathers, with a small dark core.

This headdress is Bamileke, from Cameroon, Central Africa, and is contemporary. It is chicken feather. Bamileke feather headdresses of this kind, often called juju hats, are generally associated with the Cameroon Grassfields, where they are linked to dance and ceremony. Dense rows of black feathers radiate out from a tight center, layered like fish scales. The tips curl and overlap at the edge, and the feathers catch a faint sheen. It is 7 inches high and 30 in diameter.

Dark, full and very well groomed.