Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

A row of checkerboard squares, each with its own idea about triangles and zigzags.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century, in woven and piled raffia. Kuba prestige cloths were generally used as currency, gifts and displays of wealth, and the Shoowa are especially known for cut-pile embroidery that feels almost like velvet. The center is a double row of squares alternating between natural and darker grounds, filled with concentric diamonds, stepped triangles and chevrons. A wide border of tight herringbone weave in rust and tan surrounds it. It is 24 inches wide and 69 long.

Each square disagrees with its neighbor, and the whole thing agrees beautifully.