Prestige Hat (Ashetu) c. mid 20th century

This prestige hat, or ashetu, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, made by an anonymous artist, is all blues, reds, and creams, formed from looping lines that radiate out from the top. I just love how the hat is built up from these individual stitches, forming a skin-like network. I can imagine the artist’s hands moving, looping, pulling, and tightening each stitch. They must have repeated that gesture thousands of times. It’s almost meditative, don’t you think? The loose blue netting around the edges contrasts with the tight circles on top. The red is like an exclamation point, punctuating the pattern with energy. I imagine there was a lot of trial and error in making something like this; how can you know what it will look like when it’s finished? The artist might have started with an idea in mind, but the process would have taken over, leading to something surprising and unexpected. Like painting, it’s a process of doing and seeing, and doing some more.