Prestige Cloth
Unknown Kasai People, DR Congo
Early 20th century
Raffia, plain weave with supplementary warp or weft floats
21 x 25 inches (52.5 x 62.5 cm)
Although the Kuba developed the most renowned and sophisticated textile culture in the Congo, raffia weaving also existed among many other groups in the Kasai and beyond.
The majority of these unattributed pieces were collected in the early part of the 20th century but are largely unknown. And although their technical skills and design aesthetic did not typically attain the brilliance or execution of the Kuba tradition, the textiles had a similar role in ceremonial attire and prestige display.
Given that the format and design vocabulary of this panel is related to the men’s status cloths embroidered by Shoowa and other women of the Kuba kingdom, it was undoubtedly an equivalent status signifier or funerary offering.
$3,500
