Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Crisp checker columns on the left, hourglass bands in the middle, tuft at the top.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered & piled raffia. Cut-pile raffia of this kind is usually attributed to the Shoowa, a Kuba people of the Kasai region, and was traditionally made by women. Strips of black and white checkerboard run at left and bottom, with a central strip of pale tan hourglass and chain shapes. Fringe trims the top, with a slight curl at the right corner. Tones are mostly light grey and black. It measures 22 inches wide and 41 long.

Checkers on the side, ornament up the middle, all very tidy.