Hat

Item number Edz902 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

Round hat with a flat brim that curves down at the edge. The crown is raised and flat on top. Formed of layers of bamboo leaves, enclosed inside and outside by rattan in open hexagonal weave. Top of crown covered in light coloured rattan in a woven pattern. The brim is finished with a double rim of split bamboo, lashed on with woven rattan. Inside the crown is a square of pink paper. The hat is varnished on the outside.

History Of Use

Hat to protect wearer from sun and rain, commonly considered an identifying feature of boat people in this region. Sometimes worn by agricultural people in coastal areas (collector).At the time this hat was collected, there were many families who lived on boats in the waters around Hong Kong and Macao, and made their living by fishing. The boats varied in size from small sampans to large boats holding extended families and hired workers that were capable of deep-sea fishing. Their fishing methods varied according to the size and type of boat as well as the types of equipment used. They were generally forbidden to go on land except to sell their fish, to bream their boats, to get fresh water, and to bury their dead, and hence their children were deprived of the opportunity to go to school, giving them the added burden of illiteracy. In the 1970s, this situation began to change as the Hong Kong government created housing for them on land and places for the children in schools. Now (2013) there are almost certainly no families living on their fishing boats, and the significance of fishing as an occupation has greatly declined.

Cultural Context

Used by Cantonese speaking boat dwellers, both men and women.

Narrative

This hat was new when collected in Yuen Long Old Market, Hong Kong, in 1976. Contrary to common belief at the time this hat band was collected, Cantonese boat-dwelling fishing people shared most cultural traits with other Cantonese people. Differences were determined primarily by their boat-dwelling lifestyle and the fact that they fished for a livelihood. The term “Tanka” by which they were commonly known is derogatory. A more respectful term is “Seuih Seuhng Yahn”: people who live on the water.