Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Wide black chevrons stack in rows with the seam running down the middle.

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 pile on a Shoowa cloth is cut raffia, sheared to an even nap that collectors often call Kasai velvet. Broad horizontal black chevron bands alternate with thin cream lines over the whole field. A vertical seam at center joins two halves that nearly mirror each other. Black fills the top corners, and a narrow hem frames the edges. The panel is 22 inches wide by 23 long.

Bold bands, a quiet seam, and not a wobble in sight.