Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Rows of framed black glyphs sit on a caramel ground, with a few purple surprises.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique raffia. Uneven or crooked stitches are seen as attractive imperfections showing the cloth was made carefully by hand, and its patterns, passed down through generations, can be repetitive or entirely spontaneous. Long textile in warm caramel brown with a central column of square cells filled with black, interlocked geometric motifs and small purple touches. Plain borders run on both sides and the lower end is rounded. It is 33 inches wide and 168 long.

Exact, lined up like tiny rooms in a very tall building.