Lakota Sioux Native American war headdress, ca. 1900.

Lakota Sioux Native American war headdress, ca. 1900.
Eagle feathers, beads, leather, red felt, horsehair, fur.
Similar models: Horniman Museum London.
National Museum of the American Indian (USA - Washington).
Provenance: Private collection in Brussels.
Measurements: 80 x 70 cm.

War headdress belonging to the Lakota Sioux tribe, made around 1900. This type of headdress, known as "war bonnet", was a symbol of honor, courage and leadership, reserved for the most distinguished warriors of the tribe. Eagle feathers were a symbol of honor and spirituality in Lakota culture. Carefully selected and arranged in a fan, they indicated the high rank of the wearer. Beads were often woven in geometric patterns and symbolic colors representing elements of the Sioux worldview. Leather and fur were used in the base and straps, providing flexibility and strength. Horsehair provided a dynamic effect when it moved in the wind. This type of headdress was not for everyday use, but was reserved for ceremonies, battles and important events, such as ritual dances or tribal gatherings. Each eagle feather represented an act of bravery or feat in battle, awarded by the tribal council. In the Sioux culture, headdresses also had a spiritual component, as the eagle was considered a sacred messenger connecting the earthly world with the spirit.

The Lakota are a people living on the northern banks of the Missouri River. They are part of the Sioux tribe. By the end of the 18th century they were established on the central prairie of the North American subcontinent. With time and the push of the settlers of European origin they became a nomadic people, occupying the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. They were divided into two main groups: the Dakota were mainly farmers, while the Lakota became hunters and came to dominate an extensive area of the prairie, especially since the arrival of the horse, introduced by the Spanish on the American continent. Their dominance waned as the U.S. frontier advanced westward and eliminated the bison, the source of their subsistence.