Hat

Object Details

Wan artist

Label Text

On special occasions men from various peoples in Côte d'Ivoire wear miter-shaped hats made of cotton that are embroidered with designs. To wear the hat, men position the flaps so that they are either near to or covering the ears. Sometimes they wear it so one flap extends down the back of the head while the flap in front is turned up to reveal the forehead. Such hats may be made of locally woven strip, broadloom or imported cloth.

Found throughout West Africa, miter-styled hats are trade items most likely manufactured in Guinea, a country west of Côte d'Ivoire. This hat is of a style commonly worn by men in Côte d'Ivoire, where it was purchased.

Description

Two-sided woven cotton hat, with a point at the top and bottom and overall red embroidery with black details.

Provenance

Philip Ravenhill, collected Côte d'Ivoire, before 1985 to 1989

Exhibition History

Hats Off! A Salute to African Headwear, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 18-December 26, 1999

Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, Los Angeles, January 22-July 16, 1996; National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., May 8-August 18, 1996

Published References

Arnoldi, Mary Jo and Christine Mullen Kreamer. 1995. Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head. Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, p. 106, no. 5.11.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Philip L. Ravenhill and Judith Timyan

ca. 1940

Object number

89-1-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Textile and Fiber Arts

Medium

Cotton

Dimensions

H x W x D: 40.1 x 18.6 x 15.1 cm (15 13/16 x 7 5/16 x 5 15/16 in.)

Geography

Côte d'Ivoire

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Adornment

Male use

male

Trade

Record ID

nmafa_89-1-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys74be41a14-cc92-4428-8baa-2d238ff5d634