Cape (clothing)

A feather pelerine with a design of crescents and triangles. Two broad bands, also of feather work, are attached to the outer corners.

Feather pelerines, small cape-like collars decorated with feathers, are represented in museum collections worldwide, though their precise origins and cultural contexts are often uncertain. Some scholars have suggested connections to Native American featherworking traditions in the Great Lakes region, where European garment forms were adapted using local materials and techniques. Other examples show possible affinities with Polynesian featherwork, including Hawaiian feather cloaks (ʻahuʻula) associated with aliʻi (nobility) in the early nineteenth century.

The wide geographic distribution of feather pelerines, together with limited documentation for many examples, makes attribution difficult. These objects reflect the movement of materials, artistic forms, and cultural influences through trade and cross-cultural exchange during the nineteenth century.