21" x 21" 

Hand woven shoowa textile 

Hand sourced in Africa 

Hand woven by the Kuba people of the Congo. Using fibers of the raffia tree they hand weave stips of leaf to make pieces of fabric. Because there are several different sub groups of the Kuba people, each has a unique way to make these fabrics. Some make the cloth thicker, longer, shorter, or with different patches. Each patch is symbolic, having a different meaning and arranged to tell a story. Kuba cloth holds both practical and symbolic significance. It was used every day in the form of clothing or sleeping mats. It also had special ceremonial uses, and in some instances, was even exchanged as currency. Buy just as vital as its original uses are the patterns, which communicate the owner's social status, age, or marital status.