Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Dark bands and cream ovals flank a checkerboard edge in a narrow, handsome strip.

This tcaka or dance skirt is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique & dyed raffia. The cloth is made from raffia palm leaves, which are gathered, dried, softened, dyed and stripped into fibers before being woven into panels and then embroidered. Narrow textile with a dark brown band beside a cream band covered in black oval motifs. A strip of black and cream checks runs along one side, and the sides appear slightly wavy and softly worn. It is 29 inches wide and 188 long.

Narrow and neat, with a dash of polka-dot daring.