The Pintao Hat of Panama – The Story of a Dying Cultural Heritage

You’ve undoubtedly seen the Panama hat even if you don’t know what it is. They’re white hats that look like the Mexican fedora worn by gangsters, and are most commonly seen on cigar smoking, pencil-mustachioed men dressed in white silk suits with goldpocket chains and satin handkerchiefs.

You get the picture.

However, this post is not about those hats. Heck, those don’t even originate in Panama. They are actually Ecuadorian hats that are mistakenly called Panama hats because gold prospectors heading off to California during the Gold Rush bought them from Panama.

The traditional hat of Panama is called the Pintao hat or the sombrero pintada, and is a much more intricately woven affair. It is in fact so complex and finely woven, that UNESCO declared it an endangered intangible heritage in need of protection in 2017.

So what’s so special about the Pintao hat?

The sombrero pintada is no…