Vintage Zairian Congo Kuba prestige hat with cowrie shells - $135 - (Johnson City, TN)

I was in the Peace Corps back in the mid 1980s in what was then Zaire. I purchased this hat in Mweka and brought it back. It is lined with fabric made of woven grass and has cotton on the top. It is then covered in shells and beads. I do not know when it was made. It's in good condition (though probably dusty) with only one broken shell. You can see it in the 4th photo. The hat measures about 7.5 inches across the flat top and the back is 6 inches long.

Posted in Johnson City, TN, Antiques
From ebay.com - 1 month ago