Woman's Ceremonial Skirt

KubaWW-1875-018127

1875·Raffia, plain weave; embroidered with raffia in buttonhole, pearl, and stem stitches, and running stitches cut to form pile; edged with raffia and hemp, plain weave, 2:2 oblique interlacing, and raffia-wrapped-raffia cord·165.2 × 78.8 cm (65 × 31 in.)

<p>Assembled of individually worked panels sewn together, this skirt is embellished with an ever-shifting array of patterns. Although Kuba men are responsible for preparing and weaving raffia, Kuba women decorate the cloth with imagination and artistry. To make a skirt of this size, several women from the same extended family would contribute different sections. Raffia textiles have long been an important part of Kuba artistic production.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1875
Medium: Raffia, plain weave; embroidered with raffia in buttonhole, pearl, and stem stitches, and running stitches cut to form pile; edged with raffia and hemp, plain weave, 2:2 oblique interlacing, and raffia-wrapped-raffia cord
Dimensions: 165.2 × 78.8 cm (65 × 31 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Kuba

Artist

Kuba

Textile

Kuba is a Czech and Japanese surname. In Czech, Kuba is a pet form of the given name Jakub. Notable people with the surname include:Filip Kuba, Czech ice hockey player Gabriela Kubová, Czech ice dancer Ludvík Kuba (1863–1956), Czech artist and musician Martin Kuba, Czech politician Masatomo Kuba, Japanese footballer Paula Kubová, Slovak volleyball player Simona Kubová, Czech swimmer

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Panel

1934 · Raffia, plain weave; with drawnwork embroidered in overcast stitches; pulled thread work embroidered in buttonhole stitches; and embroidered in stem stitches; three panels pieced

WW-1934-132002