Kuba Hat

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mid-20th century

Fiber, beads, cowrie shells

In Africa, cowrie shells are often a display of wealth and status, since they were once used as a form of currency. The Kuba people have developed an extraordinary variety of headwear, due in part to the tribe’s complex system of title-holding and to the use of hats as markers of status. Even for men who dress in Western styles, a hat may be worn as a symbol of cultural identity and as a means of announcing his social standing.