H x W x D: 24.5 x 20 x 33.3 cm (9 5/8 x 7 7/8 x 13 1/8 in.)
Type:
Textile and Fiber Arts
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
Among the most distinctive hats worn by peoples from the northern Congo region are those made from the hide of the pangolin, a mammal with armorlike scales that protect it from natural predators. The pangolin, with its tough, scaly skin, is the perfect symbol for the power and authority of chieftaincy as well as men's titled associations.
The combination of hide and feathers on the hat alludes to characteristics ascribed to the animals for which they came. It also defines the wearer as one who has moved beyond the settled life of the village into the realm of the wilderness.
Description:
Fiber base cap covered by pangolin skin with a curled tail, topped by feathers.
Provenance:
Jacques Hautelet, La Jolla, California, -- to 1998
Exhibition History:
Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
Hats Off! A Salute to African Headwear, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 18-December 26, 1999
Published References:
Arnoldi, Mary and Christine Mullen Kreamer. 1995. Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head. Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultral History, University of California, p. 177, no. 5.26.
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