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Laket mishiing hat

ca. 1850–1920
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 345
Across communities in the Congo Basin, enormous creative innovation has been channeled into the design of headgear. Often their owners’ most valued apparel, such prestige caps revealed an individual’s erudition, cultural affiliation, marital status, and political stature. Among the Kuba, a succession of increasingly complex versions of the four-lobed laket mishiing are worn following initiation into manhood. The basic coiled and woven raffia fiber cap is the foundation for a vibrant array of fashions, including those embellished with bold graphic patterns, colorful embroidery, twisted raffia projections, and wealth in the form of imported beads and cowrie shells. Over time, these personal accessories might undergo further modification and enrichment through the addition of luxurious plumage and elegant carved hairpins.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Laket mishiing hat
  • Artist: Kuba artist
  • Date: ca. 1850–1920
  • Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sankuru River region
  • Culture: Kuba peoples
  • Medium: Raffia palm fiber, glass beads, cowrie shells
  • Dimensions: H. 3 x W. 6 x D. 7 in. (7.6 x 15.2 cm)
  • Classification: Beads-Costumes
  • Credit Line: Gift of Lilly Daché, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.83.5
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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