ritual & belief: representations; headdress (head ornament)

Top section of a model headdress for a Krishna figure, representing a stylised tree or peacock's tail. Iron framework with green textile or binding at the bottom, yellow textile tassels, and shapes made from blue beads, white metal wire, and peacock feathers.

Such small turban or crown accessories are affixed to the deity Krishna’s headgear to enhance his beauty. This is traditionally done with beeswax but in contemporary use devotees prefer reusable adhesives such as Blu-tack since beeswax melts in high temperatures.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk