Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

A black field of triangles, studs and diamonds, framed by a bordered quilt of its own.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is piled raffia. Shoowa embroiderers generally work in geometric designs, and the patterns are often said to be composed as the stitching goes. Deep black dominates, with studded diamonds in the center, large framed diamonds at right, and triangles along the top. An inset section of hexagons sits at lower left. A dark brown border cloth runs around the edges. It is 21 inches across and 29.5 long.

Dark, dense, and a little theatrical, as a good panel should be.