Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Sixteen feet of beige, and a maze that never lets go.

The Kuba Kingdom was created in the 17th century when nineteen separate ethnic groups were united under one king, and raffia cloth became central to its courtly display. This tcaka, or dance skirt, was made in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century.

Dance skirts like this were wrapped around the body many times. A natural beige ground carries bold, labyrinth-like motifs in dark brown, arranged in rectangular compartments framed by brown bands. A few yellow stitches appear at one end.

Find your way out. Or don’t.