Hat in the form of a wig (sawamazembe)

Hats and headdresses reveal a member's rank within the Bwami society. The wig-form hat (sawamazembe), decorated with a large imported scallop or seashell and imported buttons, is worn by members of lutumbo lwa kindi, the supreme grade in the Bwami society. The hat replicates a woman's hairstyle, a reminder of the interdependence of the kindi initiate and his wife. In the past, the shell was polished to symbolize the crescent moon and attract attention to the superior status of the wearer.(36)

The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, cat. 18, pp. 78-79.

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NOTES:

36. Cameron, Elisabeth L. Art of the Lega. Los Angeles: University of California, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2001. pp. 75-76.