Monochromatic skirt with appliqué
- CULTURE:
- Kuba peoples
- DATE:
- early 20th century
General Description
Exceptionally wide woven raffia panels like this one are decorated with appliquéd geometric shapes and wrapped multiple times around the body and worn as skirts. Although patches were originally used to cover holes resulting from pounding raffia cloth until it was supple, appliqué fabric became an art in its own right. Men weave raffia into cloth and women appliqué and embroider it.
High-status women danced wearing appliqué skirts at the itul, a festival enhancing the prestige of royalty or officials.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Add to, Take Away: Artistry and Innovation in African Textiles, 2014.
Web Resources
-
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Art & Life in Africa
Read more about dress in Africa. -
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Art & Life in Africa
Learn more about African textiles.