Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

A long strip of nested diamonds, outlined in dark thread and faded straw color.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered open-weave 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 narrow textile strip with a tan ground and bold lattice of interlocking diamonds drawn in dark brown. A fringed or ragged edge shows at the bottom, and small bits of darker stitching run along the sides. It is 28 inches wide and 270 long.

A very long line, drawn with careful geometry.