Dakota turkey feather headdress

Titles: Dakota turkey feather headdress (Supplied title)

Description: A Dakota headdress circa 1880 originating in Medicine Hat, North Dakota and worn by a Dakota chief. The headdress consists of several pieces of animal hide sewn together with leather thongs or sinew. Patches of animal hair are visible on the cap portion of the headdress. A buffalo horn, split lengthwise into two equal pieces, is attached to the cap, with one piece sewn to either side. Purple and white-dyed porcupine-wrapped rods are attached to the tip of one of the horns and to the center front of the cap. Horsehair emanates from the horn's rod, but not from the cap's. A similar rod appears to have broken off of the second horn. Traces of red wool remain on the front of the cap, where it would have been worn close to the face. The remainder of the headdress is decorated with several dozen turkey feathers wrapped in red wool and sewn to the hide in regularly spaced intervals, as well as half-circle and diamond figures painted in shades of brown and red.

Dates

• Approximately 1880 (Creation)

Creation

• collected by: Greene, Joel Henry

Identifiers

• Accession Number: 6300.1

Credit: Minnesota Historical Society Collections

Holding Type: 3D Objects

Quantity: 1 item

Format

• Content Category: artifacts

Measurements

• 67 inches length
• 13 1/2 inches width (at widest point, including feathers)

Subjects

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