Kuba. Ceremonial Skirt. 1875–1900. Democratic Republic of Congo. Raffia, plain weaves; pieced; appliqúed with plain weaves in pearl stitches; embroidered in pearl stitches; edged with bands of cotton, warp-stripe warp-float faced twill weave; cotton, plain weave; pieced and hemmed in slip and pearl stitches; and cotton, warp-float faced alternating float weave; joined with raffia in pearl and twisted insertion stitches Individually worked panels were sewn together to create this expansive skirt embellished with a kinetic array of patterns. The central floating motifs add lightness, especially
Kuba. Ceremonial Skirt. 1875–1900. Democratic Republic of Congo. Raffia, plain weaves; pieced; appliqúed with plain weaves in pearl stitches; embroidered in pearl stitches; edged with bands of cotton, warp-stripe warp-float faced twill weave; cotton, plain weave; pieced and hemmed in slip and pearl stitches; and cotton, warp-float faced alternating float weave; joined with raffia in pearl and twisted insertion stitches Individually worked panels were sewn together to create this expansive skirt embellished with a kinetic array of patterns. The central floating motifs add lightness, especially when contrasted with the black-and-white checkerboard edge. Kuba men are responsible for preparing and weaving raffia, while Kuba women cut the appliqúe shapes freehand to decorate the cloth. To make a skirt of this size, several women from the same extended family would construct different abstract forms may represent stylized humans, animals, plants, and objects. Constituting a kind of encrypted script, the repeating motifs—including circles, lozenges, and L-shapes—function as building blocks for the entire design. The comma-like shape that appears across parts of the skirt is called ishina’mbua, which translates as dog’s tail —a symbolic reference to the animal’s keen sense of smell and vision as well as the spiritual qualities that the Kuba associate with the the turn of the previous century, when this skirt was made, European visitors to the Kuba kingdom recorded their admiration for the richly patterned raffia textiles that were worn and displayed at public festivals and funerals.
Size: 3000px × 903px
Photo credit: © WBC ART / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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