Ti'i langga is the wide-brimmed hat found in Rote Island, eastern Indonesia. Rote Island is the southernmost of the inhabited islands of Indonesia, in the island province of East Nusa Tenggara, not far away from Timor. The characteristic feature of the hat is the 40 to 60 centimeter high unicorn-like horn or plume sticking up near the front. Together with the sasando, the ti'i langga is the cultural identity of the culture of Rote island.
Today, the ti'i langga takes shape of a wide-brimmed hat, with the sides turned-up. A 40 centimetres (16 in) horn-like "plume" sticks up near the front. They may be plain in color or painted. The ti'i langga is created by weaving young leaves of the lontar palm (Borassus flabellifer). [1]
The horn-like "plume" of the ti'i langga is believed to have been inspired by the plumes of the headgear of the Portuguese men. The Portuguese is the first European to attempt to control the spice trade in the Indonesian archipelago through colonization in the early 16th-century. [2] Dili in East Timor, being abundant in spices, were established as one of the permanent bases of the Portuguese power. The Island of Rote, although not a spice trade destination, fell within the influence of the Portuguese. Portuguese legacy in the southeastern islands of Indonesia remains strong even today. [3]
The brim of the ti'i langga consists of a double layer of braided palm-strips, giving it extra stiffness. It is braided in such a manner as to give the impression of pieces cut out of the sides. This is seen as a proof on how the native Rotenese imitates the European headgear. Whereas in the European headgear the shape was caused by the requirement of the material, in the Rotenese headgear, the shape is copied with no reason. This shows the power of observation of the Rotenese people as well as the skill in copying with limited means. Why this imitation took place in Rote and not elsewhere on other islands visited by the Portuguese or Spaniards remained unexplained. [4]
The shape of the ti'i langga – especially the plume – is found to have evolved from early times. Early 20th-century photographs of the ti'i langga do not always show them with the horn-like plume. Many ti'i langga shows a variety of bizarre-shaped plumes. This can only be explained as the attempt to create the various plume shapes of the European headgear (e.g. on a bonnet or a helmet) using available material (lontar palm leaves). Photograph records also show the ti'i langga designed as plain, with no plumes. [4]
Today, the ti'i langga is worn by men, although in the past young women sometimes wear them. [2] They may be worn for everyday wear or on ceremonial occasions. [5]
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat most commonly worn as part of a military uniform, often, although not always, with a chinstrap. It has been worn by military personnel from many different nations including Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, France, the United States, the Confederate States, Germany and many others. Australia and New Zealand have had various models of slouch hat as standard issue headwear since the late Victorian period.
Bonnet has been used as the name for a wide variety of headgear for both sexes—more often female—from the Middle Ages to the present. As with "hat" and "cap", it is impossible to generalize as to the styles for which the word has been used, but there is for both sexes a tendency to use the word for pop styles in soft material and lacking a brim, or at least one all the way round, rather than just at the front. Yet the term has also been used, for example, for steel helmets. This was from Scotland, where the term has long been especially popular.
Stetson is a brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, in particular, in Scouting.
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Rote Island is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. According to legend, this island got its name accidentally when a lost Portuguese sailor arrived and asked a farmer where he was. The surprised farmer, who could not speak Portuguese, introduced himself, "Rote".
The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800, though actually not called a "tricorne" until the mid-19th century. During the 18th century, hats of this general style were referred to as "cocked hats". At the peak of its popularity, the tricorne varied greatly in style and size, and was worn not only by the aristocracy, but also as common civilian dress, and as part of military and naval uniforms. Typically made from animal fiber, the more expensive being of beaver-hair felt and the less expensive of wool felt, the hat's most distinguishing characteristic was that three sides of the brim were turned up (cocked) and either pinned, laced, or buttoned in place to form a triangle around the crown. The style served two purposes: first, it allowed stylish gentlemen to show off the most current fashions of their wigs, and thus their social status; and secondly, the cocked hat, with its folded brim, was much smaller than other hats, and therefore could be more easily tucked under an arm when going inside a building, where social etiquette dictates that a gentleman should remove his hat. Tricornes with laced sides could have the laces loosened and the sides dropped down to provide better protection from the weather, sun, and rain.
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The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which survived as widely-worn full-dress headdress until the 20th century.
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The military uniforms of the Union Army in the American Civil War were widely varied and, due to limitations on supply of wool and other materials, based on availability and cost of materials. The ideal uniform was prescribed as a dark blue coat with lighter pants, with a black hat. Officer's ranks were denoted with increasing levels of golden decoration. Specific jobs, companies, and units had markedly different styles at times, often following European customs such as that of the Zouaves. Officers uniforms tended to be highly customized and would stray from Army standard. Ironically, several main pieces of gear had been created by order of Confederate president Jefferson Davis before the war, when he was United States Secretary of War.
Headgear, headwear, or headdress includes any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, decoration, or for religious or cultural reasons, including social conventions.
The Ambelau people are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island. They number about 8,260, and speak the Ambelau language.
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