Genuine Kuba cloth from The Congo (Zaire). Graphically distinctive and richly evocative of Central Africa. The raffia strands are dyed in a variety of earth tones using vegetable dyes. All Kuba textiles are hand woven from the fronds of the Raffia Vinifera Palm. For that reason, Kuba cloth is often called Raffia cloth, although the Kuba practiced weaving before the introduction of this plant to the tradition. Before production, the fibers are gathered and stripped by hand or with a stripping comb. They are then woven into cloth on a single heddle loom which is unique to the Kuba, placing the face of the weaving toward the weaver at a forty-five-degree angle. At this point, the cloth is sometimes dyed or treated further to soften the fabric before moving on the next stage. Where certain other cultures assign weaving entirely to women, among the Kuba, the labor of textile creation is divided between the sexes. Men are tasked with the weaving and dyeing of base cloth while women are responsible for embroidering and connecting pieces to create the finished product. These are the cut pile cloth type. Each piece measures approximately 50cm by 50cm. They are framed in a hard wood (perhaps mahogany) frames, between two panes of clear glass. Frames measure 78cm by 73cm. Two pieces, individually framed. Price per frame.


R1800 

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