Large Kuba Raffia Skirt – NGONGO – DR Congo

Raffia Vinifera fibers. Mid 20th century. Approximately cm. 60,0 x 600,0 (2 x 20 Ft).

Elegant and important fabric; chequered patterns represent the interaction of opposites (male-female, day and night, and so on).

The length and the elegance of the skirt measure the prestige of the owner. These tissues were also used as currency.

The Kuba (or Bakuba) peoples are famous for producing beautiful fabrics made ​​from fibers of the palm Raphia Vinifera by a long and complex process that includes the participation of men, women and children belonging to the same family. Each piece must be soaked, beaten, and then worked and scraped by hand, so as to assume its typical characteristics of fine silk-like.