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Prestige Cap (Mpu)
Not on view
A type of crown known as an mpu remained a key regional attribute of political authority and social rank into the late twentieth century. Created by specialized artisans skilled in stitching and embroidery, mpu were generally composed from palm fiber. Especially fine examples draw upon the fibers of pineapple leaves. Conferred when an individual acceded to an office or position, some mpu had specific names. The cap of a nobleman or prince was mpu ntando; the crown of a king, mpu umtinu; the snug, embossed cap worn by the official who managed trade with Europeans, the mpu mafouk. Mpu were sewn in different models—those with drooping crowns and tassels were worn by high-ranking chiefs; the most prestigious examples are those with added leopard claws.
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