Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Big black diamonds sit inside pale, double-outlined frames, with ample breathing room.

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. Big solid black diamonds sit inside multiple tan outlines on a light cream ground, in a wide, open lattice. A few tiny black marks fill gaps near the top. The scale is bold, the edge is hemmed, and nothing here feels crowded. The panel is 16 inches wide by 20 long.

Plenty of space, and every diamond knows its place.