Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Rows of tiny black beads on a straw ground, behind a bristling fringe.

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. Small black diamonds sit in tight rows on a pale straw ground, in a fine all-over grid that is slightly irregular. A band of tan cloth and loose fringe runs down the sides and bottom. There is some faint staining near the upper center. The panel is 22 inches wide by 24 long.

A great deal of patience went into those little dots.