Description
Once installed in royal office, a Yoruba ruler must never be seen with an uncovered head. For sacred occasions, the ruler wears an elaborate cone-shaped beaded crown. However, he usually also owns a selection of less elaborate beaded hats for daily use. Because they are not produced for ceremonial purposes—and thus need not reflect the sacred world—such hats demonstrate a great range of artistic styles.
Provenance
Diane Wedner and Ronald M. Ziskin, Toluca Lake, Calif., by 2000; given to the Art Institute, 2000.
Accession Number
156583
Medium
Glass beads, cloth, iron, and thread
Dimensions
beads flat: 19.1 × 19.7 × 25.4 cm (7 1/2 × 7 3/4 × 10 in.)
Classification
beadwork
Credit Line
Gift of Diane Wedner and Ron Ziskin