Hat (Laket Mishiing) | Yale University Art Gallery

19th–20th century

On view, 1st floor, African Art

The most common hat type worn by adult Kuba men is the laket, a small, circular cap with a scalloped edge, which may include strings, or mishiing, suspended from the lower edges, or "lobes." This basic form serves as the foundation for more elaborate examples associated with different titles in Kuba society. Today, the laket is still worn for special occasions, particularly at funeral dances or dances held in conjunction with initiation rituals. At these community gatherings, the laket becomes a means through which an individual articulates social standing.

Medium: Raffia and dye
Dimensions: 3 × 6 in. (7.6 × 15.2 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Paul F. Walter
Accession Number: 2023.46.3
Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Culture: Kuba
Period: 19th–20th century
Classification: Apparel/Costume
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

With Gallery de Roche (Dave DeRoche, dealer), San Francisco, by 2002; sold to Paul F. Walter (1935–2017), New York, 2002 (inv. no. 2002.043); bequeathed to the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 2017

Object copyright

Additional information

Object/Work type

clothing, hats

Technical metadata and APIs

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