Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Black zigzags on the left, pale diamond chains in the middle, zigzags again at right.

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. Vertical bands alternate between bold black zigzag lines and slim chains of black lozenges on a golden tan ground. The right edge returns to zigzags. A pink border cloth hems the left side and the bottom. It is 20 inches across and 23 long.

Columns that agree on rhythm and disagree on everything else.