In this virtual trek along the Silk Road, collector Roger Pratt will show images and discuss examples of a variety of hats from his personal holdings. These include Turkmen hats, Turkmen Tekke hats, Central Asian non-Turkmen hats, Persian conical Dervish hats, Central Asian longtail hats, inscribed religious hats and Ottoman Syrian Aleppo hats. The hats were first displayed in 2018 at the International Conference on Oriental Carpets XIV in Washington, D.C.

For additional historical and cultural context, the program will be punctuated with readings of poetry and prose from the region. Participants are invited to submit hats from their personal collections for a show and tell following the talk.

About Roger Pratt

Roger Pratt is a textile enthusiast, collector and traveler. He serves on the board of The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, and is a past president of New York’s Hajji Baba Club. Pratt is currently working on a hat project that includes the development of an ethnic and tribal hats website.

How to Participate

This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the event starts (11 a.m. EST / 8 a.m. PST). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.

Participants are encouraged to submit high-resolution images of hats from their personal collections for consideration for the show and tell following the talk. Please send images and captions to [email protected] by Wednesday, December 8.

About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings

Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs