Prestige cap

This minimal headdress is defined by five cut and polished shell discs, likely from the conus genus, connected by strands of raffia fiber to form a loose, openwork crown. Although its cultural attribution remains uncertain, the form recalls prestige cap traditions among the Mbala of Central Africa, including the mpu a nzim, often defined as a chief’s cap. In both this cap and the related mpu a nzim, circular shell ornaments punctuate the cap at five intervals: four evenly spaced points around the rim and one central point at the summit. However, the composition of those shell ornaments differs in each example. Mbala caps typically feature numerous small shells, most often nzimbu (Olivella) and cowries, stitched in large quantities to form intricate medallions. The present headdress, instead, employs a few large, cut-shell bosses.

The two types are also distinct for the underlying structure of the cap. Mpu a nzim feature knotting and plaiting techniques to form the low dome of the cap, whereas the present example features only a few strands of raffia to connect the larger shell ornaments. The result is a highly abstract lattice that references prominent court regalia in the region.