Hat (Kalyeem)
Unknown Artist
possibly early 1900s
Medium
Raffia, glass beads, cowrie shells, cloth (including wool), thread, and copper alloy
Dimensions
29 × 23 × 23 cm
Classification
Garment
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1998.29
About this artwork
Kuba men (and some women) show their title and status with hats and hat accessories. The male owner of this heavily beaded and shell-covered hat (kalyeem) had a senior title. A simple coiled basketry hat forms its foundation (similar to 1915.465). Fabric panels stitched with zig-zagging white and blue beads edged in cowries hang from the top. White bead strands with cowrie shells flow downward, pushed out over the forehead by a large brim. Technically and aesthetically, beaded Kuba hats and mask...