Brokpa Yak Fur Hat (Tsipee Cham or Shamo)

Bhutan

Late 20th century

Yak fur

The Brokpa people live in a remote part of eastern Bhutan where semi-nomadic herding is the traditional way of life. With limited access to other materials, shepherds wear the Shamo, a hat made of yak fur, whose felted, woven tentacles dangle over the wearer’s shoulders. In a rainstorm, the fur will repel water, diverting it away from the face, neck, and body, leaving the wearer relatively dry. Long-haired yaks are beasts of burden throughout the Himalayan Mountains, and are an important source of meat, hides, fur, and fuel.