Painted Bark Panel, M'biti Pygmy People (DRC), Ituri Rainforest, early 20th c; painted on bark that has been soaked, hand pounded and then soaked and pounded again; 34.5" X 16" mounted size: 40.5" X 22". The bark paintings of the M'buti Pygmy go back to very early times. They express the experiences of the M'buti Pygmy people and also express, according to Cootner, homage to their deity . The men prepared the bark panels from the inner bark of the fig tree. The women painted these pieces holding the bark panel in their laps while sitting on the ground. A twig (finer lines) or a finger (thicker lines) was used and dipped into a pot of dye made from the juices of various fruits mixed with charcoal from the fire and then fixed with the sap of the gardenia. REFERENCE: Cootner, Cathryn M. 2007. "Lumina et Umbra: Magic in the Forest: Mbuti Pygmy Bark Cloths." Hali 153: 102-111.