Bamileke Ashetu or Ceremonial Hat, Based

A hat can say who you are before you say a word. In Cameroon, the Bamileke have long understood this.

This ashetu, 20th century, was crocheted in hemp. Finely made hats were worn to signal status at gatherings and ceremonies. The pattern runs in alternating blocks of black and natural tan, and the body is covered in short projecting tabs tipped in black. A dark-edged brim finishes the lower edge. A small fiber tassel hangs at one side. Twelve and a half inches tall, on a metal stand.

On its stand, it reads as sculpture. The head that wore it knew.