Tikar
Dignitary’s Hat (Ashetu)
Tikar, Early 20th century
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Tikar
Dignitary’s Hat (Ashetu)
Tikar, Early 20th century
Physical Qualities
Cotton, wool, plant fiber, wood, 17.5 H x 22 W x 26 D cm.
Credit Line
Gift of Byron R. Cheadle, Washington, D.C.
Object Number
2001.471
In the Cameroon Grasslands, men cover their heads when in the presence of their king and wear an appropriate hat for all daily, ritual, and special events.These hats signal the wearer’s status. The pattern of blue and white stylized frogs reinforces the wearer’s association with a Bamileke kingdom, where frogs are a royal symbol for fertility and abundance. The quivering projections of the dark indigo hat refer to a hairstyle once worn by important individuals throughout the Cameroon Grasslands. Such hairstyles also appear on masks and sculpture from the region.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2001; Byron R. Cheadle, Washington, DC
Nichole Bridges, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Hand Held: Personal Arts from Africa," Sept. 25, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012.
