Mbuti Barkcloth Panel, Democratic Republic of Congo

Dozens of small dark rings, drifting across pale cloth like something half-remembered.

The Mbuti of the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo make barkcloth by beating the soaked inner bark of forest trees into soft sheets, then decorating them with dark plant-based pigment, often in loose, rhythmic patterns. This panel is 20th century. The rings are set in loose diagonal rows that shift across the cream surface, a few filled in solid.

Ragged edges and soft folds show the nature of the material. Sixteen by twenty-nine inches.

Frame it, or pin it. Either would be understood.