Dida Raffia Dance Skirt

Rows of soft rectangles, each one tied off and dyed, march across the cloth like stacked bread loaves.

This dance skirt is Dida, from Ivory Coast, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is dyed raffia. Dida weavers are known for tubular raffia garments patterned by tie-resist dyeing, in which the fiber is bound before dyeing so that the wrapped areas stay pale. The ground is a warm brown, with blocks in tan, rust and wine arranged in tidy vertical columns. A band of squares with dark centers runs along the top, and twisted fringe hangs from the lower edge. It is 63 inches wide and 30 long.

Patience, tied in knots and then let go.