The story

Apparently, there were both male and female chiefs, with the ritual position of women higher than men, due to their elevated role as 'feast givers'. The 'kaleak baba' ceremonies invoked ancestral blessings on harvest and hunting practices. These rituals culminated in the division of food, feasting, singing and dancing.

In this ceremonial context, women word beaded hip belts, intricately fashioned amulets and the iconic 'epaku', fantastical cylindrical wooden hats. The 'peak' was topped with a prominently carved squatting figure, said to represent a slain enemy.
These ceremonial hats are symbolic of the people of Enggano's artistic and creative genius.