Title: Prestige cap - ëAshetuí
Material: Crocheted cotton and indigo pigment
People: Bamileke and Bamun
Country: Cameroon
Hats are especially important to the people of the Cameroons -
the Ashetu is a prestige cap for dignitaries of the Bamun and
Bamileke peoples. According to Cameroon culture, the head is
the ideal site for the aesthetic and symbolic decoration of the
body due to the belief that within the human head resides both
ones spirit (or ones inner head) and intellect. Thus the function
of the skull is to protect the inner head. The burls or "dreads" are
crocheted over individual wooden pegs. The burls mimic the
tufted hairstyle worn by high-ranking men of the Cameroon
culture. Prestige caps on the whole are reserved for the elite
males, as well as a very limited number of elite women.
There are several types of caps worn - each type of cap
communicates the level of prestige of its wearer through its
shape, size, and material.
Comes with Custom Made Stand.
Dimensions: 14" height x 8" width x 8" depth
