Yoruba Priest’s Hat

The felt fez was introduced into Nigeria through trade with the Arab north. Here an natural, undyed fez of Nigerian manufacture has been heavily decorated with cowrie shells. Cowries were recognized early on by humanity of shells of value. They are uniform, can be easily modified for stringing and they have anthropomorphic qualities as they call to mind the human eye and the female sex. For thousands of years cowries were traded around the world. They adorned the wealthy and powerful. They decorated masks and were pasted into the eyes of figurative carvings. In this hat they announce the special status of its wearer as someone linked to history and the mystical power of nature. 8″.

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