Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

Rows of ink combs, each tipped with a curl.

Mbuti artists of the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, painted this barkcloth panel with pigment in the 20th century. Bark cloth of this kind is often made by women, who beat the bark thin and decorate it freehand, and it is commonly worn as a loincloth. Here columns of closely ruled strokes run down the cream surface, each stack ending in a small hook or curl. The black lines are fine and slightly wavering, and the lower edge has a soft, fringe-like fold.

About 32 by 16 inches. A pattern that rewards a second look, and a third.