Cloth

Maker Kuba Artist

Date20th century

Place of originShoowa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa

MediumRaffia, pigment

Dimensionsirregular: 5 ft. 7 in. x 21 1/4 in., (170.2 x 54 cm,)

ClassificationsTextiles

Credit LineGift of Rod McGalliard

Object number2004.37.12

Collections

AFRICAN

Visual DescriptionCut pile cloth embroidered cloth made of varying panels with interlace and other geometric patterns; four square pieces with varying motifs on one end.

The textiles are woven by men and embroidered by women (per appraisal).

Discover More

Cloth

Kuba Artist

20th century

Raffia fiber woven cloth, multiple panels hand-sewn selvedges; multi-strand twined and plaited, stem-stitched embroidery, enhanced with openwork and frilled edging; black, brown and blue geometric patterns (border = lo liyoongd’dy or chameleon’s footprint motif—see Joseph Cornet, Art Royal Kuba 1982); signs of wear on plain end panel.

Noblewoman’s Ceremonial Overskirt (Ntshakabwiin)

Kuba Artist

late 19th-early 20th century

Woven raffia fiber cloth with applique of raffia fiber cloth in brown, black and brown abstract shapes, random pattern; multiple panels hand-sewn at selvedges.

Noble woman’s skirt

Kuba Artist

20th century

Outer skirt with ruffled edge and geometric embroidered patterns on central panel, with dark brown stitching on tan, handwoven palm fiber fabric. Cut pile geometric patterned border.

Woman's Skirt

Kuba Artist

20th century

Wooden face mask with hide and cowries attached to woven raffia superstructure and "beard"; black and white beads on band encircling face; blue and white beads and conical superstructure.

Made by Lele carvers; decorated with beads by Kuba artists for their Lele brothers

Male Royal Ancestor Mask (Mwashamboy)

Lele Artist

1960s

A rectangular, woven, off-white textile constructed from vertical strips sewn together, featuring horizontal black stripes arranged in varying densities. The fabric has a fringed edge at the bottom.

Blanket

Mossi Artist

20th century

This wrap skirt has holes to fasten it to the skirt and three sections underneath. The right one is primarily blue silk with a green-blue brocade pattern, black cloud motifs on the lower half, and white and magenta panels on the top half. In the center, there are various multi-colored arrows plaited on top of one another with a plaited silk background as well and brocade on the bottom. On the left, is a magenta panel with blue-white sections on the top and a white border on the bottom half fille…

Women’s Skirt with Motifs of Figures and Landscape 清代魚鱗百褶裙

Chinese Artist

Second half of the 19th century

Maroon wool cloth "Akunitan" w/ chief's seat, lion, lizard, porcupine, snake, elephant with gold, green, blue and white threads machine embroidered.

Cloth of the Great (akunitan)

Asante Artist

late 20th century

Navy and gray stripe with overshot color bands, 22 strip-woven panels hand-sewn together. Warp and weft threads dyes in 10 colors.

Man's Cloth (adanudo)

Ewe Artist

20th century

Woven textile ( Arabic man’s head covering) with checked pattern (embroidered woven headscarf) with image of woman partially dressed in green bathing suit.

Untitled (scarf)

Priscilla Kennedy

2017

Cut-thread cloth with geometric motifs: okolobo igila, bow or glasss etemi and another motif like a piece of candy (name unknown). Red. white, and indigo.

Cut thread cloth ("Ikata" and "injiri" pelete bite)

Snoew Wokoma

c. 1988

Woven textile ( Arabic man’s head covering) with red and white checked pattern; with embroidered image of woman cutting her hair.

Untitled (scarf)

Priscilla Kennedy

2017