Donsoké soukoula or donsoké banfla (hunter’s cap)

Donso hunters stand apart in Mande-speaking communities as powerful, self-oriented men who commit themselves to an initiatory practice known as donsoya, during which they develop an impressive set of physical and supernatural skills by venturing into the wilderness beyond their towns. They serve as protectors and disruptors who are revered and feared in equal measure by their local communities. Their ambiguous status is highlighted during festivals, parades, and other social gatherings, when they dress in special shirts and caps often laden with an array of potent attachments, as in this example. When hunting they prefer simple, practical shirts and trousers that facilitate the quiet mobility necessary for stalking prey.

This donsoké banfla is distinct for its knitted base, brushed with a thick, dark coating that has hardened and protected the fibers. Rectangular leather packets, arranged in alternating rows, contain charms or potent ingredients that serve as visible declarations of the donso’s advancement within donsoya. The combined impact of the applications simultaneously proclaimed the hunter’s highly specialized knowledge and protected him from malevolent energies.