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Prestige Hat

A work made of cloth, fiber, wool, and pigment.

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  • A work made of cloth, fiber, wool, and pigment.

Date:

Early 20th century

Artist:

Bamileke
Cameroon
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

In the Grassfields region of Cameroon, it is common practice for a man to cover his head when he enters public spaces. Worn on ceremonial occasions, a burled cotton cap such as this one communicates the wearer’s ethnic identity and social status. This type of crocheted hat—emulating a “rasta” hairstyle—is one of the most prestigious as it evokes complex hairstyles that were once fashionable in the region. The repetitive burls were stiffened with wooden pegs over which alternating stripes of black and red tips were crocheted.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Bamileke

Title

Prestige Hat

Place

Cameroon (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1901–1925

Medium

Cloth, fiber, wool, and pigment

Dimensions

22.9 × 20.3 cm (9 × 8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Donald Young and Shirley Weese Young

Reference Number

2015.305

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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