More questioning

Tim Simmons · 9th September 2006, 04:47 PM

Thanks David. Here are pics of two more hats in the same form as that sculpted on the adze and axe figure. The first Cameroon the second Zulu/South African. Clearly this basic shape is common to many parts of Africa. This makes the statements in the book all the more astonishing. It just illustrates how easy conjecture even from very recent publications by reputable sources are often seemingly a little short on research. Thier gravitas somewhat compounding the opinion.

katana · 9th September 2006, 05:23 PM

Headwear, in many societies , has been associated with status or position whether ancient, ethnographic or modern.
I, too, am amazed that the author so readily suggested a 'colonial' influence.....stating the possibility of the hat being a 'flat cap' (in Britain associated with the 'working class').
To my mind...if these carvings are a humorous attempt to saterise the colonial 'insergents' then surely it would be aimed at the military or the 'ruling classes' of that particular country.
If the author is correct in his 'interpretation' then, I suppose the hat could be a military 'beret' further sybolised by the percussion cap top. However, in the British Army the beret was introduced in the 1920's (I'm not certain as to other countries) and the idea seems very unlikely.

'The French beret was introduced in 1924 as the distinctive headdress of the Royal Tank Corps. Other armoured regiments followed, but the beret was not adopted by the army, as a whole, until 1943, although there were some exceptions. At first, the majority of the army was issued with the dark blue beret, but certain regiments and corps which had adopted a distinctively coloured beret before 1943 were allowed to keep that colour. Since then, more colours have been adopted by regiments and corps as a way to commemorate associations or just to be - regimental! '

9th September 2006, 04:47 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,854	Thanks David. Here are pics of two more hats in the same form as that sculpted on the adze and axe figure. The first Cameroon the second Zulu/South African. Clearly this basic shape is common to many parts of Africa. This makes the statements in the book all the more astonishing. It just illustrates how easy conjecture even from very recent publications by reputable sources are often seemingly a little short on research. Thier gravitas somewhat compounding the opinion. Attached Images Last edited by Tim Simmons; 9th September 2006 at 08:32 PM.

9th September 2006, 05:23 PM	#2
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Headwear, in many societies , has been associated with status or position whether ancient, ethnographic or modern. I, too, am amazed that the author so readily suggested a 'colonial' influence.....stating the possibility of the hat being a 'flat cap' (in Britain associated with the 'working class'). To my mind...if these carvings are a humorous attempt to saterise the colonial 'insergents' then surely it would be aimed at the military or the 'ruling classes' of that particular country. If the author is correct in his 'interpretation' then, I suppose the hat could be a military 'beret' further sybolised by the percussion cap top. However, in the British Army the beret was introduced in the 1920's (I'm not certain as to other countries) and the idea seems very unlikely. 'The French beret was introduced in 1924 as the distinctive headdress of the Royal Tank Corps. Other armoured regiments followed, but the beret was not adopted by the army, as a whole, until 1943, although there were some exceptions. At first, the majority of the army was issued with the dark blue beret, but certain regiments and corps which had adopted a distinctively coloured beret before 1943 were allowed to keep that colour. Since then, more colours have been adopted by regiments and corps as a way to commemorate associations or just to be - regimental! '