The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 4, 2026

A woven cotton headdress is formed by a rounded, conical tan base covered in dozens of long, tubular protrusions. A repeated diamond grid pattern of dark indigo threads marks the body, while each protrusion is banded with indigo and red near its end. A red triangular shape borders the bottom center, and the flat top features concentric circles of red and tan. The dense, dimensional surface creates a prickly silhouette.

Prestige Headdress (Ashetu or shüötu)

1900–1950

Bamum style, unknown maker, Grassfields region, Cameroon

cotton, dye (including indigo)
Overall: 25.4 x 25.6 cm (10 x 10 1/16 in.)
Alma Kroeger Fund 2024.70
Location: 108A African

Did You Know?

Titled men still wear such prestigious adornment today.

Description

The bristle-like surface of this man’s prestige headdress is dyed with indigo or a red pigment. Below, a diamond pattern evokes another royal symbol, the leopard. The projections are reinforced with small pieces of wood. Such extensions are seen on prestige headgear represented in wood in sculptures and in colored pencil on drawings in the collection.
  • c. 1990–1995
    Martial Bronsin, Brussels
    Andres Moraga, Berekely, CA
    ?–2021
    Cathryn Cootner (1937–2021), Sonoma, CA
    2021–?
    Estate of Cathryn Cootner
    c. 2021–2024
    Andres Moraga, Berkeley, CA
    2024–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art by purchase
  • {{cite web|title=Prestige Headdress (Ashetu or shüötu)|url=false|author=|year=1900–1950|access-date=04 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2024.70