Hat

Description

Dog-eared cloth caps were a popular Yoruba man’s fashion in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly among hunters and inhabitants of rural areas. Beaded versions of the dog-eared cap were made for priests, priestesses, and other high-ranking officials to wear on special occasions. This cap has a pair of all-seeing eyes on its front and back. The interlaced motif suggests Islamic influence from the north and may also refer to the four cardinal points that diviners mark on a tray during divination.

Provenance

Mr. Vernon Nelson and Mrs. Kay Alden Nelson, Chicago, Ill., by 1994; given to the Art Institute, 1994.

Hat

Yoruba

Late 19th/early 20th century

Accession Number

135538

Medium

Cloth, glass beads, and thread

Dimensions

folded flat: 39.4 × 30.5 × 3.9 cm (15 1/2 × 12 × 1 1/2 in.)

Classification

beadwork

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Nelson