Skirt

Accession Number
1986/2.95

Title
Skirt

Artist(s)
Kuba

Artist Nationality
Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1950

Medium & Support
raffia, beads, cowrie shells, and fiber

Dimensions
84 5/8 in x 24 3/8 in (215 cm x 61.9 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Betty J. Lockett Memorial Fund

Label copy
Among the Kuba, the women of the royal court take such raffia cloth as a ground on which to embroider and ornament with appliqued geometrical motifs in order to manufacture NTSHAKISHWEPI. These are dance skirts whose use is restricted to the same upper class women (and men). NTSHAKISHWEPI have been worn to perform certain ritual dances at court, principally for a dance known as ITUL, but also for other dances in honor of the king. Commoners may wear simple raffia skirts (called NTSHAK,) but not embroidered pieces. The designs may, at first sight, appear abstract but, in fact, most motifs had, in the past, meanings and specific names. Their meanings have, however, for the most part been lost, even by members of the royal entourage, and today the noble women merely copy patterns from older NTSHAKISHWEPI. Not every panel of each NTSHAKISHWEPI is the work of one woman, nor have the individual panels been decorated at the same time. Panels have been added by mothers, grandmothers, friends, and renowned embroiderers. This panel, however, would be worn by a man during the Itul festival.

Subject matter
Among the Kuba, the wearing of these decorated skirts was restricted to upper-class men and women. Panels were added by mothers, grandmothers, friends, and renowned embroiderers. This skirt was probably worn by a man during dance festivals.

Physical Description
Rectangular panel with dark brown and tan alternating rectangular boxes that form a checkered pattern along the right and left edges. There is a diamond pattern created by intersecting cowrie shells. In between the diamond patterns are intersecting uneven chevrons made from beads. The background of this panel is brown in color.

Primary Object Classification
Textile

Primary Object Type
fiber art

Collection Area
African

Rights
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Keywords
clothing
embroidery (visual works)
geometric motifs
geometric patterns
geometric shapes
prestige
textile art (visual works)
textile components

& Author Notes

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