Tutsi Insika or Decorative Screen / Panel

Seven feet of black, and fire climbing it.

This tall woven panel, an insika, was made by Tutsi artisans in Rwanda in the late 20th century. Rwandan weavers are celebrated for fine plaited work, and panels like this served as screens and partitions in the home, giving privacy as well as beauty. A field of deep black is crossed by flame-like flashes in warm terracotta, set in staggered rows that seem to rise along its length. Fine horizontal stitching runs across, and a slender bound edge in matching tones frames it.

Nearly seven feet by eighteen inches. A narrow passage would suit it. So would a long look.