Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Plaited brown loops and black triangles, sewn together from folded strips of cloth.

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. Warm brown ground carries interlaced meander bands with black triangles tucked into the corners. The cloth is built from several pieces, with visible seams and a rumpled, folded outline. It measures 17 inches wide and 21 long.

The rope-like lines turn corners with real swagger.