361-16<BR> Men's cap; tshàch (TK); hide, eagle feathers, silver; l. 35 cm., h. (only cap) 16 cm.; 1870-1880.<BR> Leather caps were donned when they embarked on long journeys, and when men went on the warpath. In the latter case, specific feather with protective magic were attached. Such caps were preferably made of skins of deer, mountain lion or lynx. Shapes varied, and could be domed or helmet-shaped, pointed, but also formed so as to resemble a predatory animal, with ears and horns. The cap Ten Kate collected is in the shape of a horn, arching backwards, and has chin straps like most Navajo caps. War caps could be adorned with feathers of owls, eagles, crows, and turkeys, patterned bands of leather, fur trim, shells, beads, etc., and later with metal buttons. The Leiden cap has two silver buttons, and the remains of the two original eagle feathers. War caps were prized possessions and thus carefully kept by their owners who periodically preserved them by cleaning, repair, replacement of parts, and repainting with a layer of clay. Some Navajo informants said that specific types of caps were associated with specific clans in earlier times (Franciscan Fathers 1910:460-463; Hill 1936:9; Kluckhohn et.al. 1971:272-280; cf. Fane 1991:76-77). The cap Ten Kate collected is one of the more modest and simple kind from a great many varieties.<BR> <BR> (Hovens 2009)<BR> <BR> Navaho Dress<BR> <BR> Ten Kate graphically described the dress of the Navahos: "In their attire, which has already been mentioned, they recall the Pueblo Indians in many respects, and particularly the Moquis and Zunis. In this regard many women can hardly be distinguished from their sisters in the aforementioned tribes. As a rule, the men wear a purple or red head cloth after the fashion of the Apaches, but differ in that a bundled-up lock of hair is suspended from the back of their heads. Except for the blankets, leg attire, and moccasins, their garb is a cheap, unsightly hodgepodge of cotton prints and cloth; and darker colors, black and dark-blue, are particularly in vogue. The leg attire consists of large pieces of brown leather, which are tightly bound below the knee with a band (Sp. faja) woven from red wool and reaching down to the ankles. The moccasins envelop the feet like a stocking and consist of soft, smooth leather, with a sole, which is only a little harder and thicker than the leather covering the toes and the insteps. The sole ornamentation of their footwear consists of a pair of silver buttons, allowing it to close below the ankle. Sometimes the leggings, too, are ornamented on the outside with a row of silver buttons. Not uncommonly both leggings and moccasins are entirely black. Both sexes wear broad leather belts decorated with lovely silver plates. The men, in addition, often wear well-made bags of leather or puma (Felis concolor) over their shoulders. Painting or tattooing the face is apparently rare. Now and then one sees Navajos with broad-brim grey felt sombreros, with an eagle feather (from Aquila chrysaetus) attached to them, or, indeed, a leather cap decorated just like the Apache tsjagg."<BR> <BR> (Hovens 2009)<BR>