Profile of Yi Men in Splendid Head Adornment

Head Wraps
Men of the Yi ethnic minority group often have their heads wrapped in black or blue cotton cloth, or black satin for wealthy ones, just like the local Han people do. White cloth head wraps are worn on funerals (see details in the part of “funerals”). Moreover, a handkerchief-made knot would often be placed on the forehead.
Men in Tianba usually tie with colorful silk threads an antelope horn-shaped object named “challolo” in local language, on the tip of which hangs a red pompon. They dressed like this even during time of war. Some of them even pile their long hair up over forehead wrapped in cotton cloth, a hair style known as “heavenly Buddha” created out of religious worship in ancient times. It looks like a pile of cow dung actually.
Quote from pages 25&26 in A Research Report on the Yi People in Xikang by Zhuang Xueben