Description

A conical bamboo helmet made of strips of bamboo, tied together with rattan. The base is a strong coil of rattan. The inside is lined with a rattan weave.

Such hats were worn by foot soldiers and militiamen in China.

Restorations

This hat has some patches that seem restored with some filler substance and varnish, and some fish thread reinforcements done by a later owner. See photos.

Comparable examples

A very similar hat is in the China Silk Museum in Hangzhou. See article. It is described as "Bamboo helmet of foot soldier from the Late Qing Dynasty", and was a gift of Asian hat collector Barbara Park.