Minneapolis Institute of Art

Woman's ceremonial skirt

Kuba artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Raffia, embroidery and appliqué

Culture

Kuba

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In Kuba society, the process of making textiles is as important as the finished textiles themselves. This elaborately decorated raffia skirt symbolizes concepts of cooperation, interdependency, and familial responsibilities. The embroidery of a woman’s skirt is usually a group effort, with several women within the lineage contributing one or more sections, so the work represents a wide variety of skill levels and artistic interpretations. The finished skirt was owned by a high-ranking woman of the lineage, who would wear it on ceremonial occasions, especially funerals. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

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