Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Interlaced lines that look like a puzzle and behave like a prayer.

This Shoowa prestige panel was made by Kuba peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century. Shoowa cloths are woven of raffia and then embroidered with a dense, plush pile in intricate geometric designs, and they were prized as signs of rank and refinement. Here, a lattice of interlocking bands in black and cream folds into itself, with nested diamonds scattered across the field. The edges are softly irregular and the surface is the color of tea and dark bark.

About nineteen inches by eighteen. A small panel with a very large pattern.