Skip to main content

Link to Smithsonian homepage

Smithsonian Music

Main menu

  • Calendar
  • Listen
  • Learn
    • Ask Smithsonian
    • Collections Spotlights
    • Music Stories
  • Watch
  • Blog

Hawaiian cowboy "papale"-style hat

Object Details

Description
This “papale” style hat is a factory made cloth hat that resembles the earlier Hawaiian “papale” hats worn by paniolo cowboys prior to the mid-1880s. The hats made prior to the mid-1880s were often weaved by a female relative out of dried leaves from the native pandanus tree. Currently papale weaving is a rare and dying art form, which is uncommon skillset. The cloth hat worn by Masatsu “Masa” Kawamoto shows the effect of industrialization on Hawaiian society after the 1880s. The hat was an essential piece of the paniolo cowboy’s clothing because it was used as protection against the different weather conditions that cowboys experience.
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Museum of American History
date made
ca.1940
Physical Description
natural fibers (overall material)
cloth (part material)
leather (part material)
thread (part material)
Measurements
overall: 14 15/32 in x 13 1/2 in x 4 in; 36.7538 cm x 34.29 cm x 10.16 cm
Object Name
hat

Featured In

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage in the Collections
  • Explore America: Hawai'i
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Link to Smithsonian homepage

  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Back to Top