Prestige Cap (mpu)
- Culture
- Kongo artists
- Date
- 19th century
- Material
- Raffia palm or pineapple fiber
- possibly associated with
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
- Classification
- Costume & clothing, textiles
- Collection
- Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 9 1/2 in. × 7 in. (24.1 × 17.8 cm)
- Credit Line
- Friends Endowment Fund
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 465:2018
Provenance
by 1913 – c.1999
Reportedly collected by 1913 in Congo by Philippe Lepage, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Dr. Jean Toussaint and Mrs. Jacqueline Lepage Toussaint, Belgium (b.1927, Kikwit, Congo), by gift or inheritance; Dr. Jean Toussaint’s second wife, by gift or inheritance [1]
c.1999
Bruno Conti (d.2007), Brussels, Belgium, purchased from Dr. Jean Toussaint’s second wife [2]
c.1999 - 2017
Pierre Loos, Brussels, Belgium, purchased from Bruno Conti [3]
2017 -
Andres Moraga, Berkeley, California, purchased from Pierre Loos [4]
Notes
[1] In a letter dated October 27, 2017 from Pierre Loos to Andres Moraga, Loos stated the object had “been acquired before 1913 by the father of the Dr. Toussaint’s wife [Jacqueline Lepage Toussaint]. She was born in 1927 in Kikwit…several souvenirs were sold through a sale to local dealers from whom I bought it.” [SLAM document files]
[2] See Note [1]. In an email dated November 26, 2017 from Pierre Loos to Nichole Bridges, Loos stated “…the dealer I bought the hat from was Bruno Conti, he died just 10 years ago in Bruxelles. He [Conti] bought the hat about 18 years ago when doctor Jan [sic, Jean] Toussaint passed away and his second wife…[had a]…sale…his [Dr. Toussaint’s] widow his first wife Jacqueline Lepage born in 1927 in Kongo…Her father Philippe Lepage was established in the Congo in the beginning of the century where he has big plantations including some in the Bas Congo (Tshela area) but he was based in the area of Kikwit.” [SLAM document files]
[3] See Note [2]. In an email dated May 2, 2018 from Pierre Loos to Amy Clark, Loos further states that “Bruno Conti bought the hat in 1999. I think he bought it directly from that family, that’s what he [Conti] told me…” In an email dated May 2, 2018 from Loos to Clark, Loos stated he “bought it the same week he [Conti] purchased the hat in 1999.” [SLAM document files]
[4] In an email dated May 1, 2018 from Andres Moraga to Amy Clark, Moraga stated the “hat was acquired from Mr. Loos in 2017. It was a purchase.” [SLAM document files]
Reportedly collected by 1913 in Congo by Philippe Lepage, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Dr. Jean Toussaint and Mrs. Jacqueline Lepage Toussaint, Belgium (b.1927, Kikwit, Congo), by gift or inheritance; Dr. Jean Toussaint’s second wife, by gift or inheritance [1]
c.1999
Bruno Conti (d.2007), Brussels, Belgium, purchased from Dr. Jean Toussaint’s second wife [2]
c.1999 - 2017
Pierre Loos, Brussels, Belgium, purchased from Bruno Conti [3]
2017 -
Andres Moraga, Berkeley, California, purchased from Pierre Loos [4]
Notes
[1] In a letter dated October 27, 2017 from Pierre Loos to Andres Moraga, Loos stated the object had “been acquired before 1913 by the father of the Dr. Toussaint’s wife [Jacqueline Lepage Toussaint]. She was born in 1927 in Kikwit…several souvenirs were sold through a sale to local dealers from whom I bought it.” [SLAM document files]
[2] See Note [1]. In an email dated November 26, 2017 from Pierre Loos to Nichole Bridges, Loos stated “…the dealer I bought the hat from was Bruno Conti, he died just 10 years ago in Bruxelles. He [Conti] bought the hat about 18 years ago when doctor Jan [sic, Jean] Toussaint passed away and his second wife…[had a]…sale…his [Dr. Toussaint’s] widow his first wife Jacqueline Lepage born in 1927 in Kongo…Her father Philippe Lepage was established in the Congo in the beginning of the century where he has big plantations including some in the Bas Congo (Tshela area) but he was based in the area of Kikwit.” [SLAM document files]
[3] See Note [2]. In an email dated May 2, 2018 from Pierre Loos to Amy Clark, Loos further states that “Bruno Conti bought the hat in 1999. I think he bought it directly from that family, that’s what he [Conti] told me…” In an email dated May 2, 2018 from Loos to Clark, Loos stated he “bought it the same week he [Conti] purchased the hat in 1999.” [SLAM document files]
[4] In an email dated May 1, 2018 from Andres Moraga to Amy Clark, Moraga stated the “hat was acquired from Mr. Loos in 2017. It was a purchase.” [SLAM document files]
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.