The Kuba Cloth Story

Typical to to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, the Kuba cloth is defined by intricately handwoven palm leaf fibre this cloth resulting into an exclusively unique, high-end, yet very raw, organic product of the exquisite hand work of both men and women. While men weave the grass matt that is used as a çanvas’, the women later embroider and transform it into various forms of textiles, including ceremonial skirts, ‘velvet’ tribute cloths, headdresses and basketry. The cloth is dyed prior to embroidering and each square takes about 2 to 3 hours to create.

One of the most significant forms of African textile art with exclusive and typical earthy tones inspired by nature and imagination the making of this cloth speaks of habits passed from generation to generation, an honour to artisanal design.