Hat

Hat with semi-spherical crown and narrow brim. The structure has been made with intertwined vegetal fibre and the outside has been entirely decorated with feathers of different colours, creating floral and geometrical designs (triangles, circles and checkered). Inside, the hat is lined with silk. This kind of work has a very complex manufacture; after selecting the feathers, they are cut to the same size, knotted and glued to threads arranged in concentric circles, which are then covered by a succession of rows of feathers. This hat is an exceptional example that allows us to analyse the cultural syncretism that took place in the Amazon region between the indigenous communities and the Spaniards that arrived in the area. While the shape of the hat originates in Spain or Europe, the feather technique reflects the long tradition of the Amazonian ethnic groups. This piece was part of a collection of objects gathered by the expedition commanded by Hipólito Ruiz, with José Pavón and Joseph Dombey joining it between 1777 and 1788.