Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

A pale cloth with a cream block at the top and delicate patterns below.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered raffia. Uneven or crooked stitches are seen as attractive imperfections showing the cloth was made carefully by hand, and its patterns, passed down through generations, can be repetitive or entirely spontaneous. Long textile in pale gold and tan, with a plain cream block at the upper left and fine, dense line patterns in stacked sections below. The surface is creased and the lower edge is slightly uneven. It is 34 inches wide and 262 long.

Soft in tone, careful in line, mild in manner.