Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

A deep red cloth fading into a darker band, quietly seamed and softly weathered.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered & applique raffia. Typical woven panels measure about 26 by 28 inches and are sewn together into the great length of a wrap-around skirt, which can at times reach beyond twenty feet. Long textile in deep brick red, with horizontal seams and a darker, mottled band near the lower third. Faint small patterns are barely visible, and the edges are slightly crumpled with soft folds. It is 36 inches wide and 234 long.

Dark, muted and not given to showy displays.