Metal hatpins are status refinements to Kuba hats that are important visual manifestations of Kuba ideas about ethnicity, status and leadership. The laket is one of the most common forms of hats worn by adult Kuba men. A small, domed cap with a scalloped edge, it forms the foundation for other, more elaborate Kuba hat styles. The laket is worn on the crown of the head so that one of the ears is always squarely centered on the face; a hat pin runs through the hair from the front to the back of the hat.
Copper alloy (brass) hatpins automatically suggest higher status, someone in the inner royal circle, even when worn with a basic hat.
Description:
Copper alloy pin ending in a copper alloy finial with incised geometric designs.
Provenance:
Mikoom Yemaa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, -- to 2001
Allen C. Davis, 2001 to 2009
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
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