Bwami society mukuba wa bifungo headdress

Known as a mukuba wa bifungo (literally, hat of buttons), this captivating headdress was worn by male members of Bwami, the moral and political society that structured Lega life. Only those who had reached the highest initiation level, lutumbo lwa kindi, had the right to wear this form of headgear. Hats like this were not just decorative. They were marks of achievement, presented to initiates as tangible honors or diplomas of their new status. For the Lega, wearing such regalia signals not only that a person is an elder in Bwami, but also that they carry a connection to the ancestors and the wisdom passed down through generations. These objects convey teachings and confirm that the wearer has earned the authority to lead and advise.


This example is made from a woven plant-fiber base and is fully covered in red and white glass buttons arranged in irregular linear shapes. At the top sits a molded finial made of glass or plastic. The hat would have been worn during key public gatherings, especially those related to initiation or funerary rites, where it identified the wearer as someone who had completed the society’s moral path.