Kuba Tcaka or Dance Skirt

Eighteen feet of deep red, and nineteen peoples under one king.

The Kuba Kingdom was formed in the 17th century when nineteen separate ethnic groups were united, and its court culture prized lavish raffia textiles. This tcaka, a dance skirt, was made in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century.

Skirts of this length were wrapped many times around the body for ceremonial dances. This long, narrow one is dyed a deep red throughout, covered in small dense stitching in darker tones, divided into joined panels, with a few small circular patches. Fold it to show a section, or let it fall full length.

It was made to move.