Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Big plum and black blocks sit between checkered borders, like a patchwork quilt in a hurry.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is dyed patchworked 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 with large rectangular panels in plum and near-black down the center, bordered on both sides by bands of black and cream checks. The lower end flares slightly, with wrinkled, softly faded areas. It is 31.25 inches wide and 117 long.

Solid blocks, stripes at the edges, and a lived-in look.