About
Botolo
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ekonda
mid 20th Century
Fiber, brass, feathers
Museum purchase. 2015.21.1A/B
Botolo, a woven tiered hat, was initially worn by an nkumu (chief) among the Ekonda of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A botolo would be commissioned by a leader and then, along with other regalia, passed down to his descendants. The hats are made of tightly woven grass fibers covered with a thin application of camwood powder and oil, giving it a reddish hue, or a mixture of soot and a binder, which could be egg, vegetal gum, or manure. The botolo is then accessorized with a brass disk, called losanja, demonstrating wealth and power, and red feathers. Sometimes, the surface material is thick, hiding the basketry frame and looking much like a finial. The parrot feathers at the top are unlikely to be original, but the fact that the hat is so well preserved speaks to the delicacy with which the basketry was handled and the fineness of the geometric sculptural form.