Kuba Textile

Tribe: Kuba
Origin: Kuba Kingdom D.R.Congo
Approx Age: Later 20th Century
Materials: Raffia
Dimensions cm: 71 x 66
Ref. Number: 0884
Extremely striking by design. This lovely Kuba textile is embroidered on a golden brown raffia background cloth, with the abundant usage of black raffia thread to create an interlaced design. Small corners of black raffia enhance the centres of the interlacing. Some plain cloth has been left to create an interesting straight line/zig-zag pattern over the whole square of textile.
History
The people of the Kuba DRC have been weaving the raffia cloth into the ‘Shoowa’ or ‘Kasai Velvet’ for 400 years. To the Kuba people, it is a precious item, used as a currency or gift for visiting tribal chiefs, newly-married couples at a wedding, or grieving families at a funeral. As tradition goes it’s the men who gather and prepare the raffia for cloth and then the women who have the job of dying the thread

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