Kuba (Bushong) (Democratic Republic of Congo). Man's Raffia Wraparound Skirt. Raffia cloth with appliqué and embroidery, raf...

Description

Kuba (Bushong) (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Man's Raffia Wraparound Skirt
Raffia cloth with appliqué and embroidery, raffia pompom edging, cowry shells
Height: 31 ¼ inches Width: 16 feet
A famous photograph of Kuba king Kot aPe standing with his "Songye charms", made at Nsheng by Emil Torday in 1908, shows the king wearing a skirt not unlike this example (John Mack. Emil Torday and the Art of the Congo 1900-1909. Seattle: University of Washington Press, n. d., p.72). "In the Kasai area of the Republic of Zaire and particularly among the Kuba, impressive raffia cloths are produced jointly by men and women, with the men making the basic mats and the women sewing and embroidering the designs. Palm-leaf fibers, stripped, rubbed, and scraped, are woven into mats by men working on vertical looms. The finished mat may be placed in a mortar with cold water and beaten with a smooth ivory pestle to soften it" (Roy Sieber. African Textiles and Decorative Arts. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1972, p.159). There are extensive wear stains and various wear holes, mostly patched with indigenous raffia cloth. One end is finished off with a patterned edge, the other appears to have been cut to even it off where the continuation was badly worn.

Provenance:
Greg LaChapelle, Santa Fe
Gary Hendershott, Little Rock



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