Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Pale and subtle, with faint squared patterns waiting for good light.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered raffia. Typical woven panels measure about 26 by 28 inches and are sewn together into the great length of a wrap-around skirt, which can at times reach beyond twenty feet. Wide, soft-toned textile in pale tan with faint rectangular grids and small squared motifs drawn in slightly darker lines. Section divisions are visible, and the surface carries a gentle crinkle and soft marks of age. It is 40 inches wide and 164 long.

Subtle enough to make the viewer lean in.