This delightful array presents a range of mens hats from the dry Sahel of Mali and Chad, to the grasslands of Cameroon and forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The elaborate metallic patterning upon the Dogon hat is exceedingly rare. The raised burls on the colorful Bamileke ashetu recall elaborate hairstyles once worn throughout the Grasslands. The other hats are of a type more commonly worn. The one with feathers marked the owner's high status and were likely worn on special occasions. Hats with complicated tri-color cross patterning also indicated prestige. The knobbed form of the Mbala hat is common in central Africa, but its dyed color accents are not. The clusters of shells suggest this was a chief's hat as shells were valuable and often used as currency. Coins and glass beads upon the hat from Chad also suggest prestige, but little is known of art from this region.