Traditionally the Juju hat, Bamiléké feather headdress or Tyn hat, is a headdress worn by the royal dancers of the Bamiléké tribes during important ceremonies held by the tribal chief.
They symbolize prosperity and are believed to posses
the positive qualities of birds and the beauty as well as fragility of life.
The headdresses are made of natural or dyed chicken
feathers as well as various wild bird feathers. The feathers are stitched onto
a woven raffia support that can be folded or unfolded.
The juju hat, which can be used as a spectacular
eye-catching wall decor, has, over the years, become one of the most
« must have » decor object.
Kronbali proposes 5 different sizes and a wide range
of rich colors either monochrome or mixed, a selection of natural references as
ell as a unique range of « custom made » colors.
Please see below our color and size range.
Standard size : 75 – 80 cm (29.5 – 31.5 inches)
Small size : 45 – 50 cm (17.5-19.5 inches)
Mini size : 35 – 50 cm (13.5 – 15.5 inches)
Please note:
1 – Juju hats are handmade in a traditional manner by extremely talented
craftsmen. We work with several different families; each one with their method
of production therefor there can be slight variations in colors and size.
It is these differences that we at Kronbali cherish most. Each headdress
is truly unique.
2 – Dye does not go well with direct sunlight. We suggest that you avoid
placing the Juju hat in direct sunlight as color might fade.
3 – Moths like feathers!!! Our Juju hats are thoroughly and regularly
treated until we ship them. We highly recommend that you continue treating the
headdress every two to three months with an anti Moth spray.
How to
unwrap and hang a Juju hat
1. We ship our Juju hats folded as in image 1.
2. The b
string is the one you will need to unwrap, do not cut this or any string.
3. Once the b
string is unwrapped you need to push at the center d of the raffia support d, placing both your hands as in the
image, your fingers holding the raffia ring while your thumbs push in the
center. You can also push with your knee, especially for the large or extra
large ones.
4. The feathers will unfold like a flower; push all
the way so the center pops out nicely.
1. Once the Juju hat is unfolded, place the feathers,
as they were wrapped up they now need to “breath”.
2. You can move the outer raffia sticks (the ones
covered in textile) to better place the overall feel of the Juju hat.
3. Once the outer feathers are nicely set, spray a
little water and, if you wish, a couple of drops of your favourite essential
oil onto the feathers and blow-dry them with a hair dryer. This will fluff up
the feathers.
4. To hang all you will need is to hang the thread
loop c onto a nail in the wall.
* Notice I have marked thread a, this is an important
thread in the Juju hat. It is the thread that holds the outer raffia sticks
together. Please make sure not to cut this thread (or any other one) but if
your Juju hat were to be a little loose, this thread can be tightened. It’s
simple to do but you need to be careful that the raffia sticks don’t get
undone. Untie the knot, tighten and retie the knot. If you tighten too much the
Juju hat will stand out more from the wall so I suggest not tightening too
much.
For more information or to place an order please send
an email here.