Kuba Cloth is a unique and distinctive textile produced by the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). Beautiful and textured, it is woven in a square or rectangle shape and features geometric designs in a palette of earthy colours.
In Kuba culture men are responsible for the raffia palm cultivation and the weaving of the cloth. A course cloth when cut from the loom it is softened by mortar pounding in readiness for its surface decoration by Kuba women - a textured array of linear embroidery and stitches.
This cloth is seeing a resurgence in recent years, with interior designers and decorators incorporating this special textile into residential design through wall art, cushions, pillows and other textile applications.
[Images: 1,8 Visi, 2 est, 3-5 Smithsonian, 6 Kellie Shearwood, 7 Seventeen Twentyone]
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