Beaded Cap

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Title	Beaded Cap
Artist	Artist Unknown (Bamoun (Bamum))
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

Beaded Cap, Artist Unknown (Bamoun (Bamum))

Related Text

Beaded Cap: Gallery Label - Current

The shape of the hat and the imagery of frogs are typical of Bamum prestige hats, but it is known that in the early twentieth century, Bamum artists made similar hats for the court of the neighboring kingdom of Nso. The three large frogs appliqued on this hat symbolize power, royalty, and fertility. Only the king, descendants of royalty, and elite dignitaries would wear this type of hat.

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Scale

Medium:

Textiles, Costume Accessory | Wool, raffia and glass beads

Size:

12 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. (32.39 x 37.47 cm)

Creation Place:

Africa, Cameroon

Culture:

Bamoun (Bamum), Africa, Cameroon

Style:

20th century

Physical Description:

woven raffia covered with red wool on which are three large frogs made of applique green and beige squares surrounded by blue wool blanket stitching; triangular area of white beads in front and back; each frog also has eyes of white beads with blue bead centers; raffia ties at center backOld accession tag inside cap : "14030.0, NW Kamerun" suggests that it may have come froma German collection. The shape of the cap is that of prestige caps worn in Bamoun, The iconography of frogs and perhaps snakes symbolized in the blue and green beadwork around each of the white areas is also typical for Bamoun. A hat with similar iconography, once worn by the Fon of Banso, is illustrated in Tamara Northern, THE SIGN OF THE LEOPARD. Storrs, CT: 1975., p. 74-cat. card

Credit:

Collection Minneapolis Institute of Arts; The John R. Van Derlip Fund

Accession Number:

81.39

Artist:

Role:

Added to Site:

February 28, 2009

Beaded Cap

Artist Unknown (Bamoun (Bamum))

20th century