Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

Men pounded the bark. Women painted it. Nobody drew the lines in advance.

The Mbuti of the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo prepared barkcloth by soaking and pounding the inner bark of forest trees, and women then painted it freehand with dark plant-based pigments, in rhythmic, improvised designs. This panel is from the 20th century and a little over two and a half feet tall. Wandering curved lines loop and hook across a pale ground, with small star-like bursts here and there.

The cloth is soft and fibrous, the upper edge irregular and slightly torn. It has the ease of a sketch. Hang it where you like. It will not mind.