Peruvian Kaxinawá giant anteater skin headdress

Peruvian Kaxinawá giant anteater skin headdress

Paka Maiti Keneya

headdress, Kaxinawá, Kensinger, Peru

A headdress consisting of a wide, thin bamboo circle. The surface is covered with giant anteater skin and adorned with multicolored feathers with two tall red feathers in the back.

Notes on accession cards:
"Paka maiti Keneya (bamboo hat with paint)
Possibly was once a plain bamboo hat with paint BUT now is a hair hat with two tail feathers. Stiff 'hair' is part of a giant ant-eater tail. Attached are red/gold and blue/gold macaw feathers, white feathers (hawk?) and Brown/black/white feathers (sunbittern). Two tail feathers

"br., black, wh. f.- sunbittern/ Hawk
paka maiti with ptg.
possibly at one time was a plain bamboo hat with paint
term: paka maita Keneya (with paint)
later used as base of hair hat
It is also possibly that a base would be decorated then covered."

back width- 7.0 cm
side widths- 8.4 cm
front width- 8.4 cm

Kaxinawá, Rio Curanja, Miutu

c. 20th century

Kenneth Kensinger

ritual, accessory

Temple University Anthropology Lab

1966-1-74