Noblewoman’s Ceremonial Overskirt
Shoowa People, DR Congo
First half 20th century
Raffia, palm fiber, stem stitch and cut pile embroidery
49 x 23 ins. (124.5 x 58.5 cm)
The eroded black dyed pile is a sign of the age of this textile which could well date to circa 1900, around the time that the Hungarian ethnologist Emil Torday collected similar pieces for the British Museum. One side was left unfinished and an old patch indicates that the overskirt was used.
$3,500
