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Hat
Guro, Wan or Malinke peoples, Cote d'Ivoire
Cotton, dyes
89-1-1, gift of Philip L. Ravenhill and Judith Timyan

On special occasions men from various peoples in Cote d'Ivoire wear miter-shaped, cotton hats that are embroidered with designs. To wear the hat, men position the flaps so that they are either near to or covering the ears, or so that one flap extends down the back of the head while the flap in front is turned up to reveal the forehead. Such hats may be made of locally woven strip, broadloom or imported cloth.

Found throughout West Africa, miter-styled hats are trade items most likely manufactured in Guinea, a country west of Cote d'Ivoire. The museum's hat is of a style commonly worn by men in Cote d'Ivoire, where it was purchased.