Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto

This beautifully brocaded Mongolian silk tunic is called a “deel.” It was most likely worn during ceremonial occasions.

John Weinstein © The Field Museum

These “hot pants” may look like they’re from the 1970s, but they’re actually much older. Traditionally  worn with tall boots by the Angmagssalik people of Greenland, they nearly disappeared when Danish missionaries arrived and thought them immodest.

John Weinstein © The Field Museum

Displayed at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, this ceremonial head ornament was created by an unknown Zaparo artist from the upper reaches of Peru’s Amazon River. The headdress is made of human hair, clamshells, toucan feathers, beetles’ wings, and monkeys’ teeth.

John Weinstein © The Field Museum

This large battle shield, made by an Amharic artisan of Ethiopia, is constructed from the skin of a hippo. Designer Maria Pinto was attracted to the shield’s unusual material as she roamed The Field Museum’s vast Anthropology collections.

John Weinstein © The Field Museum

This Chinese theatrical headdress is created with pearls, blue kingfisher feathers, pompons, and other luxurious materials. Its rich colors and textures inspired Pinto to create an entirely new ensemble of  women’s wear, exclusively displayed at The Museum’s newest exhibition, Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto.

John Weinstein © The Field Museum