Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Headdress |
Catalog Number |
2017.129.47 |
Date |
1976-2000 |
Material(s) |
Feather/Wood/Cordage |
Dimensions |
H-13 L-91 inches |
Description |
This is a blue feather Kayapó headdress. The iridescent green, blue, and violet feathers are approximately 7.5 inches in length. At the base of each feather is an iridescent black feather measuring 1.5 to 2.5 inches in height. These feathers may be from the hyacinth macaw or the crested oropendola. There are seven red and orange feathers at the top that extend approximately 10 to 13 inches from the headdress. The feathers are fastened at the base and at mid-shaft by a cotton rope. There are approximately three feathers per inch. |
Notes |
Dr. Darrell A. Posey (1947-2001) was born and raised in Henderson, Kentucky. He developed a love for science (particularly insects) while he was in 4-H club and went on to win several state and national science fairs before college. Dr. Posey earned a B.S. in Entomology and an M.A. in anthropology from LSU. He also earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Georgia. Dr. Posey began his Kayapo studies in 1976 and returned to Brazil to work with the Kayapo in 1982. His studies in the 1980s were focused on an ethnobiobological research project focused on the Kayapo. In 1989 he founded the International Society for Ethnobiology. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Dr. Posey actively helped protect the rights of indigenous communities particularly the Kayapo whose land was being threatened by loggers, miners, and other deforestation projects. Dr. Posey died of a brain tumor in Oxford, England in 2001. |
Collection |
Darrell A. Posey Collection |
People |
Posey, Darrell Addison, 1947-2001 |
Subjects |
Ceremonial objects Ceremonies Conservation of natural resources Environmental policy Environmental protection Feathers Forests Headdresses Indigenous peoples Native Americans Native peoples Natural resource conservation Rites & ceremonies Symbols Traditions |
Search Terms |
Kayapo Brazil Amazon |
Physical Holder |
Kentucky Historical Society - KHS |