Headdresses from around the World, The Antoine de Galbert Collection

A journey around the world through 300 headdresses

For thousands of years, all of humanity has worn all manner of headwear. Over some thirty years of research, French collector Antoine de Galbert gathered hundreds of remarkably beautiful and extraordinarily diverse headdresses and examples of finery for the head, which have been kept, since 2017, at the Musée des Confluences in Lyon, France. The exhibition Headdresses from around the World, the Antoine de Galbert Collection features over 300 pieces of headwear from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Take a journey around the world to meet the people who wore them!

Every headdress tells a story

Worn in daily life or for grand occasions, the headdresses on display in the exhibition meet many needs: utilitarian, social, identity-forming, and symbolic. While they play a part in physical protection, their role is also sometimes magical, protecting the wearer from the invisible world. Hats, tiaras, bonnets, helmets, crowns, turbans... putting us in contact with over 200 peoples. Whether ancient or more recent, these accessories provide several clues about their owners and their identities, rites, and beliefs... Explore their histories on a thematic journey punctuated with archival images and videos, projections, and interactive elements. A true window onto the diverse cultures of the world!

A world of discoveries

In an enchanting ambience, explore the multitude of colours, exuberant shapes, and rich materials used in each piece of headwear. Made of fabric and feathers, wood and earth, hair, metal, beads, and precious stones, the headdresses bear witness to the exceptional know-how and creativity of the artisans who made them. True works of art, these pieces demonstrate great workmanship that invites viewers on a journey both aesthetic and inward-looking. Reminding us of the thousand-and-one reasons why we have covered our heads since the beginning of time, the exhibition raises questions about notions that make up the universal nature of humankind.