Hat

This hat was made by people of the Turkmen cultural group of Central Asia in the later nineteenth or early twentieth century. It would have been worn by elite women as part of a traditional wedding ensemble. The hat combines many of the distinctive materials and techniques that are representative of the culture. The cut tassels, stamped metal plates, and use of carnelian are typical of Turkmen jewelry practices. It also integrates embroidered panels that are typical of the needlework traditions for which the culture is well known.