The Asia Institute - Crane House is a place to promote Asian culture in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The Chinese see the crane as a symbol of longevity. The Crane House is located in Old Louisville and is very close by the area where the St. James Court Art Show is held so I stopped by to see the building before going to the show. It is free to visit the house so if you are in the area I encourage you to do so. Learn more at their web site.
As of this writing (October 2013), The Asia Institute - Crane House are exhibiting a collection of hats from the different cultures around Asia. The exhibition is called Covering Asia: Telling the Story of Asia through Hats. The exhibit runs from September 27, 2013 till May 9, 2014.
First hat is made of palm leaves and used by Vietnamese farmers.
Second hat image shows Chinese skull cap made of black satin with a red knot. It was fashionable before the 1940s.
In China after the Revolution, the fashion changed and this third hat image shows a Mao uniform cap made of navy blue cotton with a red plastic star.
This fourth hat image is of a replica gat (hat) worn during Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). You can see these costumes if you watch Korean period dramas on KBS or other Korean television networks.
The Crane House was founded in 1987 by Chinese-American Helen Lang. See her interview in YouTube link below.
