Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

A low, wide strip of triangles, zigzags and diamonds in six small neighbourhoods.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is piled raffia. The Kuba are known for raffia textiles in which a few simple elements are repeated and varied until the surface seems to move. Several smaller sections of different patterns are sewn together: black triangles, zigzag stripes, diamond grids and a lozenge field. Tan ground throughout, with visible seams between blocks and a narrow hemmed edge on top and bottom. It measures 16 inches wide and 40 long.

A sampler of the maker's whole vocabulary, laid out in one afternoon.