In the tropical forests and savannas of the Congo River Basin, the Kuba Kingdom flourished for three centuries as one of the most powerful societies in Africa. Ruled by the Bushong tribe, this federation of 18 ethnic groups took great pride in its artistic pursuits. At its peak in the 19th century, the royal court employed virtuoso weavers, sculptors, metalsmiths and basket makers.
This rich wraparound skirt would have been part of a ceremonial dance costume worn by a Bushong woman from the royal household for celebrations, rituals and masked dramatizations. She would have worn it on top of other layers and secured it around her waist with a belt, often embellished with beads and shells that jingled as she danced.
The skirt is woven from raffia palm tree fiber, a material used throughout the Congo that is charged with symbolic meaning and spiritual power. In Kuba culture, men cultivate the palms and weave the cloth, and women embroider the patterns. This skirt exemplifies Bushong design: Patterns are created by juxtaposing geometric shapes in contrasting textures, colors and linear arrangements.
For both the men and women of the Bushong people, making, wearing and accumulating textiles was an important path to gaining wealth, influence and prestige.
