Design Cloth / Artist Unknown, African, Kuba Peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1986/2.105
- Title
- Design Cloth
- Artist Nationality
- Congolese
- Medium and Support
- raffia, cloth, dye
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1970
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Congo Republic (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Congo Republic (nation)
- Dimensions
- 57.2 cm x 58.1 cm (22 1/2 in. x 22 7/8 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Textile
- Primary Object Type
- fiber art
- Physical Description
- Square panel of raffia, cut-pile cloth; top is even, plush surface; intersecting linear pattern creates geometic diamond motifs in contrasting dark and light browns. Back is woven raffia cloth.
- Subject Matter
- The Kuba are renowned for their elaborate, geometrical surface design. One of the most impressive expressions of this aesthetic tradition is cloth made from raffia fiber. In the 19th century, decorated raffia cloth was a marker of prestige, used as currency, to pay tribute, settle legal disputes, and in public displays such as the funerals of high-ranking titleholders—a practice that continues today. Produced also for the international market, Kuba cloth—and imitations of its designs—can be found in shops and private collections all over the world.
- Secondary Keywords
- associated concepts
- descriptors
- design elements
- fiber
- fiber and fiber products
- materials
- materials by form
- materials by physical form
- motifs
- object genres
- object genres by material
- people and culture
- social science concepts
- social status
- sociological concepts
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 899 x 831
- File Size
- 102 KB
- Record
- 1986/2.105
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986-sl-2.105/1986_2.105.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1986-SL-2.105:1986_2.105.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Design Cloth; Artist Unknown, African, Kuba Peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986-sl-2.105/1986_2.105.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.
