Additional Information: A Kuba raffia textile wih appliqued stunning patterns

The following are excerpts from Kuba Textiles and Design by Elizabeth S. Bennett (founder of Africa Direct) and Niangi Batulukisi, Ph.D.:

"In sub-Saharan Africa, where representative art has flourished for centuries, carvers and crafts people have typically taken for their subjects human figures, animals, plants, and elements of the natural world. Abstract art, meanwhile, has remained marginal. The textiles of the BaKuba (Kuba) people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are an exception. Although part of a tradition that stretches back 400 years, Kuba textiles have a strikingly modern look. They use improvised systems of signs, lines, colors, and textures, often in the form of complex geometric rectilinear patterns. Their appliques are reminiscent of works by 19th- and 20th-century masters like Matisse, Picasso, Klee, Penck, and Chellida. This is no coincidence: all of those artists were inspired by Kuba design!"

"Applique is the most popular weaving technique among the Kuba. To create an applique, Kuba artists use a stencil to cut decorative designs out of a brightly colored cloth, and then sew or apply the designs onto a cloth of a different color. The designs are then placed on top of yet another cloth. Through this process, the artist has the freedom to create an almost unlimited variety of patterns and combinations."

"The most familiar appliques are dark brown or black on an ecru background, a pattern which is sometimes seen in reverse. Other popular appliques are red or yellow, or are placed on a red or yellow background. Appliques can also be natural-on-natural (or occasionally red-on-red). The black-on-neutral embroidery which resembles an elaborate maze is the work of the Ngeende or Ngoongo."

"Many European and American collectors have noted the striking similarities between Kuba appliques and Matisse's dancing figures. One surviving photograph shows Matisse in his bedroom, surrounded by Kuba textiles-an indication of how deeply he was influenced by Kuba design."


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Small stains and tears. light fraying

Origin:
Congo

Materials & Techniques:
Raffia

Details:
What type of item is it? Vintage / Antique / Used
Country of Origin: Congo
Pattern: Geometric

Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Small stains and tears. light fraying