Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Hexagons and bow-tie shapes in fine rows, tidy enough to file taxes.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is piled raffia. Cut-pile raffia of this kind is usually attributed to the Shoowa, a Kuba people of the Kasai region, and was traditionally made by women. A fine, dense all-over pattern of small hexagons, hourglass shapes and tiny diamonds in black on tan. The rows change character from left to right, with columns of bow-ties giving way to dotted lozenges. Tan hemmed border. The panel is 18 inches wide by 25 long.

Small units, endless patience, and one column that clearly got bored.