Hat

In Kuba society, hats are important for displaying social standing and authority at communal occasions and rituals. Imported glass beads and cowrie shells signified the highest-ranking officials. This hat is made of raffia and cotton, and decorated with beads and cowrie shells. The red, white, and aqua blue beads on the earflaps are in the geometric woot motif. This double-crossing chevron pattern is named for a powerful, male figure in Kuba culture, who is understood to be the first ancestor and ruler of the Kuba people.