Prestige Hat

In the Grassfields region of Cameroon, it is common practice for a man to cover his head when he enters public spaces. Worn on ceremonial occasions, a burled cotton cap such as this one communicates the wearer’s ethnic identity and social status. This type of crocheted hat—emulating a “rasta” hairstyle—is one of the most prestigious as it evokes complex hairstyles that were once fashionable in the region. The repetitive burls were stiffened with wooden pegs over which alternating stripes of black and red tips were crocheted.