Dida Raffia Dance Skirt

Deep red, with a fringe longer than some of its neighbors would attempt.

Here is a dance skirt of the Dida peoples of Ivory Coast, 20th century, made of dyed raffia. Dyeing raffia after tightly tying it left the crimped surface that distinguishes Dida work, cloth prized for ceremonial dress and for the way it moved on a dancer. The ground here is a dark oxblood, with small clusters of bright yellow ovals near the top and irregular gold patches down the sides. Below, the fibers loosen into a mass of ragged red strands. Forty-seven inches long, eleven wide.

Rather dramatic. Dance tends to bring that out.