Less than fifteen known examples of such textiles exist in European collections - of which this rare and finely constructed raffia fibre textile is one.
This textile predates the Kuba Shoowa textiles, and exhibits a uniquely individual and beautifully freelance design with a complex interplay of geometric symbols and sense of rhythm and movement. This textile, with its tight velvet-like surface, is thought to have served as a representation of wealth or a form of dowry or currency.
Estimated Period: 19th Century
Ex Private Collection, Brussels
61 cm x 82 cm (As on Mount)
(Click on images to enlarge)
