Antique Kuba Cloth Raffia Textile Traditional African Tribal Money Congo, Africa

Description

This is an antique, handwoven, raffia textile which is sometimes referred to as a Kuba cloth as it was handmade by the African Kuba tribal people. This antique African Kuba cloth was collected from Zaire, Africa which is also called The Democratic Republic of Congo. Also known as Madiba this African plant fiber cloth was made by the men of the Kuba tribe in the Kasai region of the Congo called the Kuba Kingdom. The cloth was made from fiber from the raffia palm (Raphia Vinifera). It normally took about one day to make two or three lengths of cloth depending on the skill level of the craftsman. New, unused cloth was used as money for Bride price, ceremonial payments and as tributes to the Chiefs. This antique Kuba textile specimen measures 26 inches long by 21 inches wide. This Kuba plant fiber cloth specimen is in good overall antique condition but does have a red ink stain on the front side and the previous owner's family name is written on the backside in ink along with some designs lightly sketched with ink. These Kuba cloths are handsome pieces of African art and not only look great displayed as wall hangings but are a very interesting African textile fabric for the advanced craftsperson wanting to create tribal pieces for home decor they also look great stretched and framed. I combine shipping so please be sure to check out my eBay store where I have thousands of items to browse through. Be sure to add me to your favorites list!