Hat (1)
05
days
20
hours
19
minutes
51
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
No reserve price
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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Ceremonial beaded chief's headdress from Congo, dating to 1950–1960, mounted on a woven plant-fibre base and richly decorated with thousands of multicoloured beads, provenance from a Belgian religious community, diameter about 13–14 cm, in very good condition.
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Description from the seller
Ceremonial feathered headdress of a chief – Pearlized – Congo – Religious provenance
Beautiful and spectacular traditional ceremonial headdress originating from the Congo, made on a structure entirely woven from plant fibers and richly adorned with thousands of small multicolored beads.
The decoration is particularly elaborate, dominated by red and blue, with geometric motifs in white, yellow, turquoise, green and black.
The headdress features several beaded appendages arranged around the structure, as well as a substantial summit element. According to oral information transmitted with the object, it would be a chief’s headdress, with the different ends each having symbolic meaning.
Origin
This piece comes from a Belgian religious community.
According to the oral history kept with the object, this headdress originating from the Congo would have been offered to the Mother Superior. It was then kept within the religious community.
This provenance is reported for information; no document currently accompanies the object allowing one to establish precisely the ethnicity, dating, or circumstances of the gift.
Condition
Good overall condition considering the artisanal nature and the presumed age of the piece.
Some signs of age and small irregularities are visible.
Notably, there is a small opening at the summit, perfectly visible in the photographs. I cannot determine whether this is a manufacturing feature or a small old defect. It is therefore noted for transparency.
Inner structure in woven plant fibers visible in the photographs.
Dimensions: approximately 13–14 cm in diameter, excluding appendages.
A very beautiful object of traditional African art, particularly decorative and interesting for its religious provenance and its Congo-associated history.
Sold as photographed. The photographs are an integral part of the description.
Ceremonial feathered headdress of a chief – Pearlized – Congo – Religious provenance
Beautiful and spectacular traditional ceremonial headdress originating from the Congo, made on a structure entirely woven from plant fibers and richly adorned with thousands of small multicolored beads.
The decoration is particularly elaborate, dominated by red and blue, with geometric motifs in white, yellow, turquoise, green and black.
The headdress features several beaded appendages arranged around the structure, as well as a substantial summit element. According to oral information transmitted with the object, it would be a chief’s headdress, with the different ends each having symbolic meaning.
Origin
This piece comes from a Belgian religious community.
According to the oral history kept with the object, this headdress originating from the Congo would have been offered to the Mother Superior. It was then kept within the religious community.
This provenance is reported for information; no document currently accompanies the object allowing one to establish precisely the ethnicity, dating, or circumstances of the gift.
Condition
Good overall condition considering the artisanal nature and the presumed age of the piece.
Some signs of age and small irregularities are visible.
Notably, there is a small opening at the summit, perfectly visible in the photographs. I cannot determine whether this is a manufacturing feature or a small old defect. It is therefore noted for transparency.
Inner structure in woven plant fibers visible in the photographs.
Dimensions: approximately 13–14 cm in diameter, excluding appendages.
A very beautiful object of traditional African art, particularly decorative and interesting for its religious provenance and its Congo-associated history.
Sold as photographed. The photographs are an integral part of the description.
Details
Era
1900-2000
Number of objects
1
Country of origin
Congo
Condition
Very good condition, slightly used with small signs of wear
Military Context
No
Estimated period
1950-1960
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