Rare Example of African Cloth Currency, Early 20th C. Large woven raffia mat rolled into a thin tube with braided ends and used as currency in Africa in the late 19th-early 20th c, Congo. Such textiles were used for gifts, peace offerings, payment from a son to his father upon attaining adulthood, and payment upon the birth of a child or the burial of a parent. Cloth currency was also used as a tribute for a spouse who remained faithful or, by contrast, as a penalty for adultery. Size: 40'' x 10'' x 4.5'' (102 x 25 x 11 cm). Ex. Cathryn Cootner Estate Collection, Sonoma, CA.

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