Akha Headdress - Thailand
AkhaHill tribe woman's head dress / hat--Woven hat adorned with coins, beads/seeds, buttons
This hat was made by a member of the indigenous hill tribe, the Akha. The Akha people live in higher elevations of south east asia, such as Thailand, Burma, Laos, and the Yunnan Province of China. This particular headdress was most likely made in Burma (now Myanmar) based on the coin identification (Burmese specific coins).
- Object: Akha Headdress - Thailand
- Artist: -
- Circa: 20th Century
- Dimensions: -
- Culture Area: Asia / Southeast, most likely Myanmar (now Burma) or Thailand
- Cultural Group: Thailand, Akha
- Cultural Context: Akha women define their age or marital status with the style of headdress worn. At 12, they exchange their child's cap for that of a girl. Mid-adolescence, she will begin to wear the adult woman's headdress. These headdresses are unique to the wearer as they are the ones to decorate them. Common materials used to decorate the handcrafted hats are beads, coins, dyed feathers, and fur.
- Donor: IELM Funds/ Catherine Prince
- Catalog #: 117.005