Kuba Skirt #14

Old Kuba skirt made using applique technique
The Kuba people of Zaire weave a wide variety of cloth made from rafia, a natural fiber from palm leaves. The material is stripped into very fine threads, soaked and pounded to make them flexible, and dyed in vegetal or mineral pigments to create a variety of colors. The Kuba employ a variety of weaving and decoration techniques. This skirt uses sewn-on applique to achieve the desired geometric designs.

This old Kuba skirt is woven of natural rafia fiber, and is believed to date from about 1960. I bought it from a large collection of garments collected by a man who lived in Zaire in the 1980s.

Dimensions are about 22 inches wide and 90 inches long. It was made from four approximately square pieces of equal size, joined at the edges using natural rafia thread. Each applique piece is also outlined in a different color, providing an accent affect. These were then attached by hand using rafia thread.

Overall condition is Very Good, with no large flaws apparent, with only some light wear and slight soil possible. This is an older piece and has one small spot that shows a little more wear and is a little thinner, but no holes. With the photos below, the first two photos are of the different halves of the garment, the final photo a close-up showing the weaving technique. The total length of this textile shows a slight curve -- it is not totally straight.