Human world
Royal dancer's headdress
Sikkim, 19th century
Accession Number 66.3.17
One of the court dancers would wear this hat of tie-dyed silk during festivals. Bailey and his wife gathered a large collection of costume and textiles, many of which are now in the museum's collection.
Colonel 'Eric' Bailey served as a junior officer on the Younghusband Expedition. He went on to have a notable career as a diplomatic agent in the region where he became famous for his daring exploits as a 'spy'.
Later, he travelled far and wide in the Himalayan region with his wife. Together they gathered a large collection of objects, including many textiles. They carefully recorded such details as how and where they were made.