Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Rusty red ground, scribbled black lines and a wandering border of dots.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique raffia. Because the cloth is built from separate squares, they can be separated and recombined into new compositions, then backed and hung on a wall much like a tapestry. Long narrow textile in brick red, with black lines forming a loose grid, hooks, dots and short bars. Marks are bold and uneven, and the surface has faded, lighter patches near the top and sides. It is 28 inches wide and 177 long.

Raw, handmade and thoroughly full of black marks.