Kuba Raffia Textile Handwoven Congo African Art 5 Feet SALE WAS $75

Unsold $49.00 Buy It Now, $12.98 Shipping, 30-Day Returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: Top-Rated Plus Seller africadirect ✉️ (59,831) 99.8%, Location: Denver, CO, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 332147168225 Kuba Raffia Textile Handwoven Congo African Art 5 Feet SALE WAS $75.
Title Kuba Raffia Textile Handwoven Congo African Art 5 Feet
Country of Origin Democractic Republic of Congo
People Kuba
Materials Raffia Palm Fibers
Approximate Age 20th Century
Other Dimensions Height: 22 Inches
Width: 60 Inches
Overall Condition Good to fair. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Damage/Repair Stains, thinning spots, holes.

We do not recommend laundering textiles, and do not accept returns of textiles which have been laundered in any manner.  Even dry cleaning is too much for some of these antique textiles.  For some of them, a very gentle HAND washing  (NEVER MACHINE, on any setting)  in cool water with a very gentle detergent works, but even then, dyes may not be colorfast, and fabric may be less strong than it appears.

Additional Information:  An extraordinary textile!
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. 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 written a book on them. See Elizabeth S. Bennett and Niangi Batulukisi Ph.D., Kuba Textiles & Design , AfricaDirect Inc., 2009, 41 pages. 28 full color photographs, paperback.See a close similar piece on p. 7, fig. 1

The following are excerpts from Kuba Textiles and Design :

"In sub-Saharan Africa, where representative art has flourished for centuries, carvers and crafts people have typically taken for their subjects human figures, animals, plants, and elements of the natural world. Abstract art, meanwhile, has remained marginal. The textiles of the BaKuba (Kuba) people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are an exception. Although part of a tradition that stretches back 400 years, Kuba textiles have a strikingly modern look. They use improvised systems of signs, lines, colors, and textures, often in the form of complex geometric rectilinear patterns. Their appliqués are reminiscent of works by 19th- and 20th-century masters like Matisse, Picasso, Klee, Penck, and Chellida. This is no coincidence: all of those artists were inspired by Kuba design!"

"Appliqué is the most popular weaving technique among the Kuba. To create an appliqué, Kuba artists use a stencil to cut decorative designs out of a brightly colored cloth, and then sew or apply the designs onto a cloth of a different color. The designs are then placed on top of yet another cloth. Through this process, the artist has the freedom to create an almost unlimited variety of patterns and combinations."

"The most familiar appliqués are dark brown or black on an ecru background, a pattern which is sometimes seen in reverse. Other popular appliqués are red or yellow, or are placed on a red or yellow background. Appliqués can also be natural-on-natural (or occasionally red-on-red). The black-on-neutral embroidery which resembles an elaborate maze is the work of the Ngeende or Ngoongo."

"Many European and American collectors have noted the striking similarities between Kuba appliqués and Matisse’s dancing figures. One surviving photograph shows Matisse in his bedroom, surrounded by Kuba textiles—an indication of how deeply he was influenced by Kuba design."

Recommended Reading: 

Elizabeth S. Bennett and Niangi Batulukisi Ph.D., Kuba Textiles & Design , AfricaDirect Inc., 2009, 41 pages. 28 full color photographs, paperback.

 

**111806**

All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006


Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers!
Please visit our About Us page.

Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 51,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity auctions.

Customer Service : We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care!

Handling Time : We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours.

Returns : We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card.

Combining Shipping : You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order.

When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card.

U.S. Shipping : We use a professional shipper who has worked with us for ten years. He and his staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of his labor and the special packing materials he uses is reflected in our handling price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage.

International Shipping : We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request.

Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.

Newsletter, previews and special offers : Sign up for our newsletter

Go to Africa Direct Store

  • Maker: Kuba Artisan - Africa
  • Original/Reproduction: Original

PicClick Insights - Kuba Raffia Textile Handwoven Congo African Art 5 Feet SALE WAS $75 PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 4 watchers, 0.1 new watchers per day, 30 days for sale on eBay. Very high amount watching. 0 sold, 1 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 59,831+ items sold. 0.2% negative feedback. Top-Rated Plus! Top-Rated Seller, 30-day return policy, ships in 1 business day with tracking.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive