Ceremonial Wrapper 

Maniema or Tetela peoples, DR Congo 

19th century

Raffia, resist dye, plant derived dyes

 69 inches wide x 51 inches high  

A chief or elite person’s mantle or waist wrapper from the remote eastern regions of the DR Congo, notable for its early 19th century date, ultra-fine texture, and a minimalist abstract design exploiting the rich color saturation and pungent contrast of the solid turmeric yellow and resist-patterned magenta bands. The fineness of the raffia weave recalls small “currency” cloths that were extensively traded across the Congo during this era as commodities of value and wealth. Given the limited production of raffia textiles in the equatorial forest region, and the small number of surviving pieces, this tradition offers a glimpse into another facet of central Africa’s tradition of woven art. Several comparable textiles, from the same period, are in the collections of the Africa Museum, Tervuren, Belgium, The British Museum and the Musée Quai Branly. Reportedly arrived in Belgium circa 1890 and kept in the family collection;  Ambre-Congo Gallery, Brussels.

$7,500.00