KUBA CLOTHS

Kuba cloths have always been significant items of trade and now Kuba trade with the western world continues to be just as important.

Historically the Kuba used cloths for dance skirts, floor coverings and as shrouds for burials.

Today Kuba cloths are extremely sought after pieces of art, many of which are framed and hung on a wall or, plain material backing is sewn onto the back of a Kuba cloth to make a highly attractive scatter cushion.

The base cloth is woven by men on vertical single looms which are normally less than a metre square. The very distinctive 'cut pile' Kuba cloths are hand made by threading hundreds of individual raffia fibres through the base cloth weave to form raised motifs approximately 5mm high. The final texture is like velvet and these cloths are sometimes referred to as 'Kasai velvets'.

Base cloth and fibres are dyed in contrasting colours like black, brown, orange, yellow, red or purple.

A cloth can take up to a month to complete.