Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Chunky black knots stacked tall, each square tied up differently from the last.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven & applique raffia. Kuba cloth comes from the Kuba Kingdom in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where men and women work side by side to make cloths that carry a great deal of symbolism. Upright strip with dense black interlocking shapes against a cream ground, divided into square blocks. The patterns shift between X-like crossings and wavering lattices, and the edges are slightly uneven. It is 147 inches wide and 21 long.

Order imposed with a bold brush and confident corners.