Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

A maze with no exit, drawn with a steady hand.

Mbuti artists of the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, painted this barkcloth panel with pigment in the 20th century. Painted barkcloth is often associated with ceremonial and everyday wear in the region, and its patterns are generally improvised rather than copied. This nearly square panel is covered in interlocking blocks and channels outlined in black, with parallel hatch lines filling many of them. The ground is a clean cream, the edges are irregular, and a few soft folds cross the surface.

About 27 by 24 inches. Nearly square, so it hangs like a small painting.