PLAINS INDIAN WAR BONNETS | HEADDRESSES  | TRAILERS | FUR & HORN HEADDRESS

Native American Headdress | War Bonnet | Single & Double Trailer | Split Horn  Headdress & | Animal Fur Headdress


This trailer headdress featured in the film "Hyde Park on Hudson" (2012) starring Bill Murray. The headdress was worn by Jonathan Brewer playing the part of Ish-ti-opi

War Bonnets | Headdresses are custom made to order

All of our headdresses are hisorically acurate using hand beaded (lazy stitch or applique' brow bands in traditional colors - not loom beaded). All of the feathers are hand wrapped and sewn by hand using wool trade cloth, calico or other materials. The preferred color in the old days was red or yellow.  Feathers are decorated with horse hair, breath feathers, gypsum, buckskin/elk or fur on tips of feathers (coup dots). We also utilize clay paints to color the horse hair, etc. Each headdress is antiqued to look old (if required)

Deer skin or Elk skull caps are covered with feathers, tufts of Buffalo fur, ermine, otter, or other fur. Headdresses are adorned with buffalo hair, calico and silk ribbon, ermine, quill work, braided leather, beadwork, rosettes, feather side drops, aged tin cones, bells, conchos, etc


SIOUX

Based on a museum Sioux war bonnet | headdress

Plains Indian Headdress features lazy stitch beadwork, deer skin cap, buffalo wool tufts on cap, wool trade cloth, brass studs, ermine, cotton calico, etc.  Made for a client in Montana

OGLALA SIOUX  Inspired by one of Iron Tail's trailers (or Cinte Muzza) an Oglala Sioux. He fought at the battle of Little Bighorn. He also performed with Buffalo Bill’sWildWest Show during the 1890's and with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West show from 1913 to 1916. He died of pneumonia on May 28, 1916 while traveling to his homeland, the hills of South Dakota. Iron Tail was one of three models for the Indian Head nickel.

 

Plains Indian War Bonnet with rolled ermine, hand colored horse hair with earth pigment paints.

 

This double leather trailer headdress is in a private collection in Wyoming


C
HIEF'S CROWN

Many deeds have I done and for each I have earned a feather from the eagle, Great Spirit. I have hunted and counted coup on many enemies and have proved myself to be worthy of this crown. My teepee, my home and the circle of life are represented here along with the blessings of the elk and deer. The ermine of richness hangs from each side and I have done well. I am Chief and I am proud.

 

Headdress display at Tommy Hilfiger’s flagship store, New York

Tommy Hilfiger headdress | war bonnet - not antiqued to look old

 

BLACKFOOT

Blackfoot flared war bonnet (ca. 1875) inspired by a museum example with strips of ermine on brow band, tufts of buffalo fur on cap, rolled ermine and feather drops, gypsum coup dots, colored horse hair using earth pigment paint, etc

 

BRULE’ SIOUX

Inspired by a Brulé Sioux war bonnet | headdress featuring split buffalo horns, rolled ermine and cotton calico drops, buffalo fur, wrapped yellow feathers, etc

 

Johnny Depp wearing one of our war bonnets from the movie “Finding Neverland” - made with different furs, wool cloth, glass beads, deer skin cap, brass bells, horse hair, etc.

COMANCHE

Comanche trailer headdress based on a museum example circa 1880; Ethnological Museum, Berlin, Germany with buffalo fur & feathers | buffalo & longhorn painted on cap, gypsum coup dots, curly horse hair, etc. 

Back of Comanche trailer headdress

Sioux trailer headdress based  on Catalogue No. E357469 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE. Custom made for a client in Pennsylvania.

BLACKFOOT

Old Buffalo Bull Headdress 

The original headdress is in the Denver Art Museum. Buffalo fur, horns, trade cloth, seed beads, hawk bells, , sinew, shell, beads, hackles and feather fluffs, deer skin, etc

Made for a client in Chicago

CHEYENNE

Based on a headdress worn by Two Moons - Cheyenne (c. 1847–1917), or Ishaynishus (Cheyenne): Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse

 Buffalo fur headdress, hand polished buffalo horns, calico, feathers, hawk bells, lazy stitch beadwork with glass seed beads, red fox fur, ermine drops, etc.

Back of headdress showing beaded major plume and cap covered with tufts of ermine, fluffs and horse hair colored with earth pigment paints.

 

Plains Indian trailer headdress with beaded symbology on trailer, rolled ermine, beaded rosettes, etc.

SIOUX
Based on a Sioux Headdress | War Bonnet, made for a client in Norway

Hair ornament

Back of double trailer headdress 

BLACKFOOT

standup up headdress ca. 1880

Native Arts Trading were featured in Native Peoples magazine for our headdresses | war bonnets

BLACKFOOT

Replica Blackfoot flared  war bonnet ca. 1875 based on a museum example. Made for clients in Colorado & Montana

Custom Plains Indian single trailer headdress made for a client in the States

This headdress features old time cotton calico & red wool cloth trailer, hand dyed horse hair with clay paints, fur, buffalo hair, hawk bells, ermine, etc

Split Buffalo horn war bonnet made for a client in Finland

CHEYENNE

Replica of a Cheyenne war bonnet | headdress featuring aged brass conchos, ermine coup dots and drops, brass beads, curled horse hair, etc.

Made for the Buffalo Point Museum, Lake of the Woods - Manitoba Ontario. Ojibwe Man's headdress with crow wings and hawk feather replica circa 1880

Moose hide/skin, crow feather/feathers, hawk feather/feathers, cotton cloth, etc.

This hair ornament was based on the one worn by Kicking Bird (Lakota: Ziŋtká Nagwáka) - in "Dances with Wolves" with hand painted eagle feathers, rawhide, wild turkey feathers, brass beads, antler button, fluffs, etc

Split horn war bonnet | headdress

 War Bonnet with buffalo horns and fur, otter, calico | ermine drops, calico feather wraps and beaded rosettes, etc.

SIOUX

Based on a Sioux trailer headdress 

Close up of beaded double rosettes

 

HUNKPAPA LAKOTA

Based on a Hunkpapa Lakota headdress | war bonnet. Custom made for a client in the States

Close up of Hunkpapa Sioux war bonnet

Back of a headdress war | bonnet featuring two painted bears. Painted with earth pigment paints with tufts of ermine.

ARAPAHO

Based on Yellow Calf's War Bonnet (Arapaho Chief) - British Museum.

This Headdress features many elements such as a short silk dark blue trailer with feathers & ermine drops, old time cotton calico covered buckskin cap with a tartan like cloth edging, embroidered rosettes on velvet with netting & wool, small base feathers, amber horn tube beads, etc

Replica of Red Cloud’s trailer headdress (Metropolitan Museum of Art) made for a client in Colorado & featuring braided wrapped fringe on feathers, various other braided fringe & ermine drops, etc 

SIOUX

(Although the original headdress has been labelled Sioux by the museum, it does have similarities & traits to that of the Plateau | Great Basin regions)

Red Cloud (Lakota: Maȟpíya Lúta; c. 1822 – December 10, 1909

 

CROW

Replica of Packs the Hat (Crow) trailer headdress from the Brinton Museum.  Made for a client in Montana.

 Back of trailer headdress covered with feathers

HUNKPAPA LAKOTA SIOUX

Based on Sitting Bull’s war bonnet (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake) c. 1837 – December 15, 1890 

Buffalo Fur & Horn Headdress | Medicine Man's Headdress

Buffalo fur headdress with polished female buffalo horns,  trade cloth, ribbon, cotton calico, glass seed beads, fluffs, tin cones, deer leg sinew, clay paints, mirrors, deer skin, etc.

Made for a client in the USA. A war bonnet | headdress similar to this one was also made for TOMMY HILFIGER's global flagship store in Manhattan

 This headdress is based on the one presented to Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Now in the Calvin Coolidge library. There is a lot of beadwork on this split trailer headdress. It is edge beaded with 8 beaded motifs on each side.  Not antiqued to look old.

This single trailer headdress was created for a private collector in Pennsylvania to their remit. He wanted a headdress that featured blue and white beads with blue calico feather wraps.

This headdress was not antiqued.

The trailer on this headdress was also edge beaded

war bonnet commissioned by Stage One - a nationally acclaimed professional theatre in Louisville Kentucky