The Global Language of Headwear: Cultural Identity, Rites of Passage, and Spirituality

The Global Language of Headwear: Cultural Identity, Rites of Passage, and Spirituality explores the vital role of ceremonial headwear throughout diverse cultural customs, beliefs, and rituals. Featuring approximately 89 hats and headdresses from 43 different countries spanning five continents, and organized into five distinct categories—Cultural Identity; Power, Prestige, and Status; Ceremonies and Celebrations; Spiritual Beliefs; and Protection—this exhibition showcases these mutual themes amid a range of traditions.

Each section draws compelling parallels across a global spectrum of regions and ethnicities represented in the exhibition. The beliefs and rituals of these many cultures, and the ceremonial objects that accompany them, ultimately unite an international community.