The form of this fine prestige Bamileke hat mimics the tufted male hairstyles, once worn throughout the Grassfields region of Cameroon, that signalled elevated social status. Known as an ashetu, this crocheted cotton male head adornment features a beautiful open-work design of concentric circles and series of burls or 'tufts'. Indigo dye, which has now faded over time, has been used to decorate the hat, producing a wonderful pattern of blue that interplays with the natural colour of the cotton. The presence of a traditional restoration, using cotton fibre, is material testimony of this hat's importance. This is a good early example of such a style of head adornment, later examples do not have the same fine and tightly woven crocheted technique.
H (Incl. Stand): 36cm
H (Excl. Stand): 15.5cm
Width of Hat: 20cm
Width of Stand: 14.5cm
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: First Half of 20th Century (1930's - 1940's)
References
Minneapolis Institute for Art, 'Prestige Hat'
'Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head', p. 57
BNF.HGE
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