The Kuba reign in central Congo was a federation of 18 tribes. The sub-tribe of the Bushoong was the dominant group, from which the aristocracy and the king came (‘nyim’). Noble women of the Bushoong wore these long, embroidered wrapover skirts (‘mapel’) for official occasions or dances at court. They consist of a foundation of light brown, raffia palm fibres. The fabric is woven by the men, then embroidered and decorated with applications of black-dyed plant fibres by the women. With approximately 200 different symbolic patterns. The present, old wrapover or dance skirt of a Bushoong noblewoman is very beautifully manufactured. Made of more than 40 narrow stripes of the light brown foundation sewn together, very densely embroidered with typical Kuba patterns (‘infinite knots’, intersecting rectangles, spirals, arrows, circles, semicircles, lines etc.). Mostly embroidered with double black thread or decorated with applications. The least embroidered section is the lowest layer when wrapped around the hips, whilst the most densely embroidered section, with rounded border, is the upper visible layer of the wrap. Measuring c. 5.50 m in length and c. 1 m in width, this ‘mapel’ Kuba wrapover skirt is complete. This is a rare condition! Some staining, otherwise without damage. First half of the 20th century; (ME)

Provenance: Belgian private collection.

Literature: 'African Textiles' by John Gillow, p. 193.