Lacquered salakot with silver mounts

The salakot is a traditional, wide-brimmed hat worn in the Philippines. They were made with many different materials and worn by all classes. This example is woven from nito, rattan and bamboo and coated in black lacquer giving it a refined aesthetic along with the silver mounts that cover the surface. This salakot is significant in the use of the double-headed eagle motif, a motif with religious links, dating back to the Roman and Byzantine empires and later on, adopted by royalty. The use of this symbol on a salakot is unusual and could indicate that the owner was perhaps a member of the elite class.

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Salakot (traditional hat of the Philippines)

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