Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Inky zigzag grids climbing a thin strip, tight as a crossword with all the clues erased.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven & applique raffia. Abstract geometric designs on the cloth act as a visual language valued across Kuba society, and some say it grew from scarification patterns, crop patterns or even divine intervention. Narrow tall piece made of stacked squares filled with dark interlaced lines on a pale cream background. The black work is crisp in the middle, softer near the top, and the edges ripple a little. It is 154 inches wide and 24 long.

All that order, and not one empty square.