Kuba Shoowa Dance Skirt

Squares that never quite finish, and a fringe that never quite ends.

Kuba weavers of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, made this Shoowa dance skirt in raffia in the 20th century. Shoowa textiles are commonly worn for dance and ceremony, and the geometric patterning is a hallmark of Kuba cloth. Wide bands of interlocking black, maze-like motifs run down the tan ground. Narrow borders with small diamonds frame them, and a fine reddish-brown edge runs along the sides. A plain, fringed section hangs at the bottom.

About sixty-three and a half inches long and twenty-four and a half wide. Hang it tall, with plenty of wall around it.