Four Winds Hat

Item number 853/3 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

A man’s very large elaborately decorated hat constructed in three tiers: 1) a 13 cm wide band of brown reindeer fur fits around the head lined with printed cotton broadcloth. This band is loosely covered by a band of red wool fabric appliqued with multi-coloured embroidered ribbon, braid, and rickrack. There is a narrow band of off-white fur at the bottom edge and twelve red, green, and yellow streamers (58 cm long) attached at the centre back; 2) above the fur, there is another band of multi-coloured ribbons, rickrack, and braid, 11 cm. wide; 3) this is surmounted by a 33 cm. band of dark blue wool fabric trimmed with multi-coloured ribbons and braid. The top is shaped into four points, (the "four-winds" hat).

History Of Use

These items of clothing are worn all the time, not just for special occasions. Men's hats differ from women's both in form and pattern, whereas there is less difference between the sexes in other items of Saami costume, such as the tunic or shoes. Women's hats are, generally speaking, smaller and more conservatively decorated than men's.