Artwork Page for Pin (ndwong angwoong) for Hat

Details / Information for Pin (ndwong angwoong) for Hat

Pin (ndwong angwoong) for Hat

early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba-style maker

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Medium
Metal
Measurements
Overall: 17.8 cm (7 in.)
Credit Line
Educational Purchase Fund 1915.468.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Stick pins were practical, securing a hat to a man's hair. They were also a way to display social status. The material, attachments, number, or placement of metal stick pins were all significant. The miniature bell on this pin gives it the name ndwong angwoong. It was placed so that the bells dangled over the wearer's forehead.
A dark-brown metal pin, likely bronze, features a long, slender rod tapering to a sharp point. Near the head, fine horizontal ridges wrap around the shaft. A small, cup-shaped bell hangs from a ring at the upper end. The entire object shows a weathered, oxidized surface. The pin slants diagonally from the upper left toward the lower right.

Pin (ndwong angwoong) for Hat

early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba-style maker

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