22" X 22" 

Hand woven kuba shoowa textile with a flat weave and linen back 

Hand sourced from the Congo 

Vintage - Early 20th Century Kuba Shoowa Cloth - Handwoven in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Shoowa Cloth which once was used as currency, is often given as lobola (part of the dowry payment to the family of the bride), in special ceremonies, as chair or floor coverings and as symbols of wealth. 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.