Chaping

Straw hats in various forms and under different names are common throughout the East and South-East Asia; they are made from the most accessible material, the long bamboo or banana leaves. But the Chaping hats made ​​ on the islands of Java, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia, undoubtedly win first place in terms of their size; they are really huge. Most often, they are worn by peasants working in rice fields in anticipation of tropical rain. Unlike the design common in Asia, top of the hat is flattened, not peaked. However, there are other designs, too (see photo).