Dida Raffia Dance Skirt

Mostly a single burnt orange, with a few strange small shapes near the top.

Made by the Dida peoples of Ivory Coast, this dance skirt dates to the 20th century and is made of dyed raffia. Dida raffia cloths, created by tying and dyeing, were worn at ceremonies and dances, and they remain among the most recognizable textiles of the region. This wider example is largely a warm, even rust. Toward the top, small red crosses and patches of ochre stand out, with a line of stitching across the middle. Twisted strands form the bottom fringe. Thirty-four inches long by twenty-six wide.

The fewer marks there are, the harder you look at them.