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1960.6.35.1

Pair of feather armbands.

1960.6.35.1

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Collection type
Object
Description
Pair of feather armbands.
Long description
Pair of feather armbands [.1 & .2] tied together; yellow feathers attached to plant fibre basketwork suspended on a cord of twisted cotton threads. [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 29/9/2005]
Cultural groups
Kamaiurá
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1958
Date collected
1957 - 1958
Acquisition information
Donated: 1960
Materials and processes
Material Bird Feather, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Yarn Plant, Material String, Material Plant Fibre, Process Basketry, Process Twisted
Dimensions
Length: max 110 mm, Length: max 75 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1960.6.35.1 Accession number: 1960.6.35.2 Other numbers: 108
Research and responses

Célia (Glicéria) Tupinambá is an artist, activist, teacher and researcher from the Serra do Padeiro village, located in the Tupinambá Indigenous Land of Olivença, in the south of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Célia and her niece Jéssica viewed this object during a research visit in June 2023 and provided the following information (a copy of which can be found in RDF under 1886.1.908):

These armbands use the same knotting techniques to attach the feathers that Célia now uses in her own practice for making feather cloaks. The two armbands demonstrate two different techniques of weaving “tukum” palm fibre. One of the armbands shows very fine weaving all along the back section where the feathers are attached to the foundation, whereas the other does not. Célia suggests that this may indicate that one of the armbands was collected before it was finished. Célia also notes that the use of fibres in this object are a mixture of cotton and “tukum” palm. The combination of these two types of fibre are used to create the desired rigidity for the object.

Rosa Dyer and Célia both suggest that the yellow feathers present on the cap may have been produced through a process of “tapirage”, where feathers (usually from domesticated parrots) are plucked and regrow back in a yellow-orange colour that is different from the original colour of the plumage.

Related Documents File - Catalogue: 'The Oxford & Cambridge Expedition to South America 1958. A collection of photographs and ethnological items of the indigenous INDIANS OF BRAZIL and a selection of hand-coloured prints taken during the journey round the continet.' Circulated by Art Exhibitions Bureau. Several pages of notes in Spanish. Two page typed, but unfinished manuscript (with edits written on it) and inventory of items loaned to an Exhibition. Author unknown, possibly Rivière? [MOB 19/2/2002]

The Ethnologue gives the name of this group as KAMAIURA, CAMAIURA or KAMAYIRA [i.e. not KAMAIYURA]. [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 29/9/2005]

Search terms: Ornament, Arm Ornament