Kuba Wall Art

A Kuba is a traditional raffia fabric from Congo woven by men and detailed with designs by women. Men collect leaves from the palm tree, dye them using the mud, then they rub it in their hands to soften it in order to make it easier for weaving. After weaving, women make designs by inserting the fiber into a needle, then run it through the cloth until the fiber shows up on the opposite and after that they cut off the top of the fiber, leaving only a small piece showing up. This process is repeated several times until a desired design is formed and each design and color have a meaning.
The Kuba people used these cloths for different purposes: a currency to exchange goods, a dowry during the marriage ceremonies, used during the ceremonies of the end of a mourning period, as wall hangings, as cushion covers, to wrap the dead and liner of coffins in order to be recognized by the ancestors.
They were also used by both men and women as skirts, in the two following ways: men wore it gathering it at the hips with the upper part folded over a belt, whereas women wore it wrapped around the body with the lower part reaching below their mid-calves.