Minneapolis Institute of Art

Headdress

Bamileke artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Cotton and raffia, single loop interlacing

Culture

Bamileke

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The ashetu - or prestige hat - is prevalent in the Grasslands of Cameroon. The large, blue and white burls are stiffened with wooden pegs and divided by concentric circles into two orange lobes on either side of the head. In this region, men once wore wrapped, tufted hairstyles to indicate their high social status. The projections on the ashetu mimic this hairstyle. Men wear prestige hats to ceremonies and rituals to express their standing and authority in the community. This headdress type is knitted or crocheted using vegetable fiber and appears in many variations. Artists also represent this style of hat, or hairstyle, in masks and sculptures. Bamileke, Africa

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