Bamileke Juju Hats

Home to a diversity of chiefdoms, kingdoms and villages are the grasslands of the beautifully forested volcanic mountains of Cameroon. Some of the most important tribes include the Bamoun in the East, the Bamileke in the South and the Tikar east of the Bamoun. During royal court affairs, the celebrants of these kingdoms wear a spectacular headdress known as the Tyn or Juju hat. The hat is worn by the chiefs, senior dignitaries, prominent officials and important dancers. This large bright hat consists of multi-colored bird feathers. The feathers range in a wide variety of colors including white. The feathers are carefully sewn onto a raffia fiber base, covered with material on the outside that splays out into a huge circle. When not in use between festivities, the Tyn hat can be neatly folded in on itself for easy storage. The feathers are utilized as rare objects of beauty, as a symbol of prosperity and for the wealth of positive qualities associated with birds.

{photography by Luisa Brimble of Serendipity Corner}