Kuba Raffia Cloth

• Title Kuba Raffia Cloth
• Category Textile
• Medium Fiber Art
• Medium Geometric
• Dimensions 26"h x 30"w
• Year Completed Undated
• Notes Kuba textiles feature intricate geometric patterns on pile cloth often compared to velvet. The cloth is made from the inner leaves of the raffia palm which are harvested, cut into threadlike strips, kneaded for softening and woven into a fabric. Camwood trees provide the color red; mud, charcoal, and plant material are used for black and brown; brimstone trees produce yellow; and clay is used for white. Using an inclined heddle loom, men weave the cloth into plain squares whose dimensions are determined by the length of the palm leaves. Working from memory, women embroider the pattern by using a needle to insert short colored raffia strands under the warps or wefts. The final step is cutting the embroidered strands to the same length. Kuba cloth may be used to fashion ceremonial clothing and headdresses, make bags and sleeping mats, and form dividing walls in dwellings. In addition to their use as textiles, raffia squares were also accepted as currency for local and regional trade.
• Artist Unknown Congo
• Credit John and Janet Yoder Collection
• Location Library Art Storage H1
• Accession Number 2022.0140
• Status Available Request this art work
  
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