Ethiopian Oromo headdress
 

Wish to share this with you guys. Years ago I got a furry headdress from a friend who knew I was into Ethiopian "stuff". He told me it was Ethiopian…. At the time, I had my doubts as I had never seen one like it and I could not find any reference. I thought it was Central African, maybe from the Congo..... Talking about lack of experience... But collecting is also studying and learning. Finally, after many years I found some photographic evidence in an old black and white picture. And then, a few recent colour pictures of Oromo horsemen in their native costumes. So there it is: a vintage Oromo headdress. It is made from the mane of a GELADA (also known as Ethiopian baboon). Now, a question for you guys: how to preserve it??? I tried to gently comb it, but it sheds a lot. Also I do not want it to get infested. Any suggestions? Keep it in a glass case with moth balls??

Looks hot. Winter hat?

No, it's not a winter hat.... Warrior headdress. A "cheap" substitute for lion's mane one. I have seen quite a few lion's mane ANFARRO (mostly in photographs....), but this is the first gelada's mane headdress I have found.

An impressive piece. A way to kill off insect infestation in such objects is to first carefully wrap and seal the items in plastic and leave them in the freezer compartment for a couple of days.

I don't have the hat, but I have the shoulder thing. I bought it in Ethiopia in 2003, I don't remember where exactly.

I know, was just pulling your leg. That near to the Equator, African 'winters' are not much different than their summers.

Maasi warriors use real lion's manes, the darker black one are mature lions, lighter gold manes are the more junior lions. Their customs used to be that a man wasn't a man until they went out with their spear and shield and killed a lion. Like an old US Coast Guard saying 'You have to go out. You don't have to come back'.

(Photo from 1968, they've essentially stopped killing Lions for these, existing ones sell for big bucks.)

Let's not forget that the Kilimanjaro is snow-capped.... At any rate, on the Ethiopian Highlands, especially on the Semien Mountain Range, nights are extremely cold. Brrrrrrr….

KUBUR, the "shoulder thing" is a LEMBD in Amharic (Ethiopia) and a DINO' in Tigrynian Tigray and Eritrea). Happy and SAFE 2021 to all.