Rare ceremonial hat mukuba mid-20th century

Rare ceremonial hat (mukuba) of the Lega culture with the beak of a hornbill; mid-20th century; these hats are worn by high-ranking members of the "Bwami society" in eastern Congo; the hat is conical upwards, consists of a dense weave of plant fibres and is decorated with vertical rows of oyster shells; the beak of a calao bird or hornbill is mounted on the tip of the hat; the lower part of the mukuba has a chin strap decorated with a row of old horn buttons; the Lega are an ethnic group from the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo; the mukuba hat also serves as a symbolic link to the ancestors; they are kept as heirlooms and passed on to the descendants; a rare and beautiful example of a ritual hat of the Lega; traces of use according to age; measurement: approx. 18.5 x 28 cm