Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

Fat looping shapes nest together like links, with one small circled mark near the foot.

Mbuti artists of the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, painted this barkcloth panel with pigment in the 20th century. Mbuti painted bark is commonly made by women and associated with wraps and ceremonial use. Elongated, bulbous forms fill the upper two thirds of this cream panel, each filled with parallel strokes and bordered with a heavy black line. Near the bottom, a small cross in a circle stands apart. The surface shows gentle creasing and an irregular edge.

About 27 by 13 inches. Sinuous and graphic, with a lot of attitude for its size.