As Kuba nobility vied for increased power at court, they commissioned accessories that proclaimed their desired status in visual terms. The valuable material of this ivory hairpin, and its incorporation of a delicately carved face crowned by a pattern of stacked coils, offered distinction to the wealthy individual whose hair it once adorned. Likewise, these woven skull caps served as emblems of office. Their textures patterns, though subtle, illustrate the extent of Kuba artists’ efforts to adorn a range of objects across media.