Kuba Raffia Textile, 14 Feet, DR Congo, Africa Start Price USD 1,300.00 Current Price USD 1,300.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, October 04, 2008 End Time Monday, November 03, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Kuba Raffia Textile, 14 Feet, DR Congo, Africa' Description 14 feet by 35 inches. A few small holes, some loose stitching between the squares- the squares themselves are very solid. Quite a few patches- some small some larger, large ones are worked into the design. A few discoloration- not much This was made in the Kuba Kingdom, which is in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire. Men did the weaving, women did the dying and embroidery. Raffia, which comes from the raffia palm tree, is notoriously difficult to work with. Soaking and pounding were both used to soften the fibers. Each piece took months to make. I have written an article on them, included with purchase. Matisse was hugely influenced by these textiles, and had a number of them in his bedroom. This is your chance to purchase an original--Matisse made copies!I have examined this piece and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D. **026063** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!