Kuba Shoowa Prestige Panel

Raffia, a Kuba kingdom, and a great deal of patience.

This prestige panel was woven by Shoowa artisans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century. Among the Kuba, cut-pile squares like this were worked by women on cloth woven by men, and valued as a form of wealth, exchanged in ceremony and kept among a family’s treasured possessions.

The panel splits in two. On the left, a lattice of fine black lines frames diamonds filled with checkered squares in black, cream and warm rust. On the right, a bolder grid of triple lines encloses small black lozenges. A plain raffia border, about 21 by 23 inches.

Two minds, one cloth. Hang it and let them argue.