Cholon hat

Date: pre-1788

Cultural Context: Cholon style

Origin: Huallaga River, Pampa Hermosa (Peru, South America)

Medium: Feather, Silk, Vegetable fibre, Natural resin

Technique: Glued, Lined, Interlaced, Stitched, Woven, Embroidered, Cut

Dimensions: Height = 11 cm; Diameter = 33 cm; Ribbon: Length = 33.5 cm

Inventory no.: 13551

Hat with a hemispherical crown and a short brim. Structurally, it is made of woven plant fibre; the entire exterior is decorated with differently-coloured feathers that form floral and geometric designs (triangles, circles and checkerboards). The inside of the hat is lined with silk.

This type of work was very complex to manufacture; after the feathers were selected, they were cut to the same size, knotted and glued to threads arranged in concentric circles hidden under the successive rows of feathers.

This hat is an exceptional example that allows us to examine the cultural syncretism produced in the Amazon region between the Indigenous communities and the Spaniards who arrived in the area. While the shape of the hat belongs to a Spanish or European category, the featherwork technique reflects the long tradition of the Amazonian ethnic groups.

The piece is part of the collection of objects collected by the expedition led by Hipólito Ruiz, made up of José Pavón and Joseph Dombey, between 1777 and 1788.