Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Black triangles melt into diamonds, row by row, like a slow chessboard thaw.

This Shoowa prestige panel is Kuba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is piled raffia. Kuba cloth begins with the fibers of the raffia palm, and the embroidery that covers it is slow, patient work. Rows of black triangles with scalloped bases at the top shift into black and cream diamonds with white outlines lower down. The ground is tan, the scale is mid-sized, and the edges are hemmed. It is 21.5 inches across and 24 long.

Triangles graduate into diamonds, one diligent row at a time.