Hat

Hats such as this one are worn by the Hmong people as a form of decorative clothing to be worn for special celebrations and sometimes as a form of protection. The elaborate designs and fanciful attachments, such as these pompoms, are thought to distract mischievous spirits who sometimes tempt the unsuspecting soul to leave the physical body, thereby causing the death of the individual. The Hmong artistic tradition is noted for its vitality and innovative ways of combining traditional designs and newly available materials. The appliqué patterns and striped borders on this hat are typical traditional patterns long favored by the White Hmong, but the pompoms are a modern design element.