Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A lengthy woven cloth panel made from raffia palm leaves with a pompom trim- measuring 29.3 feet (8.9 meters). The patterns are symbolic of an individual's social and marital status, or character, and chieftains often created and wore their own unique patterns as a legacy emblem to mark his reign. The making of such a textile is a laborious team effort: traditionally the cloth is woven by Kuba men on a single heddle loom using raffia-tree leaves and hand-dyed using mud, indigo, or the powdered bark of the camwood tree. Next, they are embroidered by women and children, and often cut to create a pile texture. Size: 352" L x 30" W (894.1 cm x 76.2 cm)

Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

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#174178

Some tears and fraying to center weaving, most is intact and good with fraying to edges and losses to pompoms staining discoloration. Please note the massive size of this piece!