Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

Darker bark, taller motifs: a skyline in ink.

Mbuti artists of the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, painted this barkcloth panel with pigment in the 20th century. Barkcloth of the region is commonly worn as a wrap or loincloth and is often decorated freehand with plant-based dark pigment. This panel is a deep, toasted brown, painted with upright, ladder-like forms capped with small crossbars and filled with fine hatching. A few small holes pierce the surface, and the edges are naturally ragged.

About 27 by 15 inches. The darkest, most architectural of the barkcloths. Hangs well beside a lamp.