Cantonese Opera Headdress

Headdress styled to represent a civil official. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, costume makers adorned headdresses with colourful feathers associated with imperial ranking, including plumage from kingfishers, exotic pheasants, eagles, and peacocks. Brass and mirrored discs, coloured beads, pompoms, and shiny metallic paints were incorporated into costumes and headdresses to enhance their numinous power (practice tied to using mirrors to deflect negative energies).

Black velvet headdress with blue iridescent feathers covering gold painted paper in shapes of lion at the top portion, and two eagles on either side of lotus flower at front bottom portion. Two fish and two dragons surrounding encircled peacock at back. Rim is green with metal studs with red and clear glass. Square patch at front suggests something was attached there once. Brown ties attached to either side. Also see Edz1664 b-c for the 'wings' that attach to the headdress.