KUBA CLOTH

Description

Kuba textiles have been designed and handcrafted by the Kuba ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for hundreds of years; the skill of the craft is passed on from generation to generation and the cloth is still produced today.

Weaving is of paramount importance to the Kuba people, woven fabric forms the basis of the ceremonial dress for royalty and thereby expresses the status of wealth, hierarchy, and personal states of transition.

Traditionally woven to use as a wraparound skirt during ritual festivals and performances, the main material used in the construction of the cloth is a fiber extracted from the raffia palm. The skirt was secured with a sash and usually worn over a plain red or cream embroidered skirt and is thought to be a unisex garment.