Object Details
- Label Text
- This hat, proudly displaying the ostrich feathers and coiled metal associated with one's position, combines the traditional mudpack hairstyle of an initiated man with the modern versatility of a hat. Among Kenya's pastoral peoples, a man's well-groomed hair is a sign of strength, courage and masculinity.
- Provenance
- Katherine Ream Sobeck, Silver Spring, Maryland, collected Kenya, 1968-1970 to 2004
- Exhibition History
- TxtStyles: Fashioning Identity, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 11-December 7, 2008
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Turkana artist
- Date
- Mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Eileen Sobeck
- Medium
- Ostrich feathers, felt, cloth, wire
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 18 x 23.5 x 19.5 cm (7 1/16 x 9 1/4 x 7 11/16 in.)
- Type
- Textile and Fiber Arts
