Hat
Yoruba
1875–1925
- Medium
- Cloth, glass beads, and thread
- Dimensions
- folded flat: 39.4 × 30.5 × 3.9 cm (15 1/2 × 12 × 1 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- beadwork
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
yorubabeading (process)glassinorganic materialafrican Artarts of AfricaCoastal West Africaclothceremonial objectcostumeglass beadsneedleworkingbeadwork
About
Dog-eared cloth caps were a popular Yoruba man’s fashion in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly among hunters and inhabitants of rural areas. Beaded versions of the dog-eared cap were made for priests, priestesses, and other high-ranking officials to wear on special occasions. This cap has a pair of all-seeing eyes on its front and back. The interlaced motif suggests Islamic influence from the north and may also refer to the four cardinal points that diviners mark on a tray during divination.
