Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Chunky black scrolls and boxes sprawl over a caramel ground with generous energy.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique raffia. Kuba cloth comes from the Kuba Kingdom in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where men and women work side by side to make cloths that carry a great deal of symbolism. Wide textile in warm caramel brown, with heavy dark brown lines forming mazes, boxes, spirals and hooks across the full surface. The lines vary in thickness, and the edges are slightly uneven. It is 29 inches wide and 125 long.

Bold, sprawling and deeply committed to its own scribbles.