Zaire, Bakuba people
Panel
Mid-20th century
Raffia, plain weave; embroidered in overcast and 
stem stitches; running stitches forming cut pile
61 x 49.2 cm
Restricted gift of The Textile Society of The Art Institute of Chicago and Avon Company Royalties, 1984.1026

This textile panel is woven from raffia, a plant fiber that has been beaten over a log to make it soft. Woven panels like this one are used in the ceremonial dress of royal persons of the Bakuba people of Zaire in Africa. 

The geometric design is roughly divided into halves, forming a complex design resembling interlaced strips. Try to follow the path of one of the strips as it winds itself behind and over other strips.