Name/Title
Handmade Straw Brooch — Miniature Campesino Hat with 26 of July Movement EmblemEntry/Object ID
2025.11.65Description
A handmade brooch in the form of a small round Cuban straw hat. The body is coiled, woven natural palm/straw fiber, whip-stitched with black thread in radiating spokes across the brim. At the center, inside a red-thread ring, is the emblem of the Movimiento 26 de Julio: a diagonally divided field — red above, black below — with the numerals "26" worked over it in white thread. A red woven-fabric ribbon bow is fixed below the emblem, and a red fabric loop at the top carries a metal safety pin that serves as the wearing fastener.Context
This layout replicates the exact design of the iconic M-26-7 revolutionary flag and armbands worn by the guerrillas. Red symbolizes the blood of the revolutionaries shed for freedom, while black signifies the mourning of those who died in the struggle. The use of woven straw directly evokes the "sombrero de guajiro" (the traditional straw hat worn by rural Cuban peasants). By embedding the revolutionary logo into a peasant straw base, the pin visually represents the movement's roots, solidarity with the rural working class, and agrarian reform.Acquisition
Accession
2025.11Acquisition Method
PurchaseSource (if not Accessioned)
eBayMade/Created
Date made
circa 1959Place
Country
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
artisanal productionInscription/Signature/Marks
Type
EmbroideryTranscription
26Notes
"26" (worked in white thread over a red/black field) within the M-26-7 emblem. No other text; no maker's mark.Parts
straw hat + ribbon loop; fastenerMaterials
Material
Plant Fiber, Thread, MetalMaterial Notes
Natural palm/straw fiber (yarey or guano, tentative); cotton or synthetic embroidery thread (black, red); woven fabric ribbon (red); steel safety pin.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
M-26-7Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 31, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 19, 2026