Chief's hat

Object Details

Pende artist

Label Text

This bicorn chief's headress alludes to the strength and power of the buffalo as it refers to the associated powers of Pende chieftancy. Stylistic elements that identify this headress include the appendages or horns on each side, the central knoblike proturberance and a finial at the crown. Among the Pende, these headresses are called misango mapende. The form is said to have originated in the Lunda region, and since the 1940s, Yaka and Suku chiefs have purchased this type of beaded headress from their Pende neighbors.

Description

Plant fiber hat with projecting inverted cone knobs on top, front and back and forward projecting side horns. Hat has covered overall with glass beadwork in red yellow, white and blue lines and triangles .

Provenance

Eliot Elisofon, New York, collected near Gungu, Zaire in 1966-67 to 1970

Exhibition History

Africa ReViewed: The Photographic Legacy of Eliot Elisofon, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 21, 2013-December 14, 2014

Art and History Gallery at the Corning Museum, Corning, NY, April 7, 1995-November 22, 1998

African Emblems of Status, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 29, 1982-April 3, 1983

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Eliot Elisofon

Mid-20th century

Object number

70-34-39

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Textile and Fiber Arts

Medium

Glass beads, plant fiber

Dimensions

H x W x D: 17.1 x 38.6 x 30.4 cm (6 3/4 x 15 3/16 x 11 15/16 in.)

Geography

Democratic Republic of the Congo

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Leadership

Male use

male

Record ID

nmafa_70-34-39

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys76ff34c7f-9ad5-4559-bc62-190fadd775d2