AGT066 African Kuba Shoowa embroidered raffia panel 19" high x 17 1/2" wide
African Kuba embroidered raffia shoowa panel. Sewn to a fabric panel and framed for display. Age ca1980s. Acquired 1988 from Douglas Dawson Gallery, Chicago, IL. (Provenance in hand) Maker Unrecorded.
Traditionally, Kuba cloth is woven from hammered strands of palm leaf, which are softened to pliability. This work is done by men. When the base textile has been completed, it is turned over to tribal women to embroider using cut-pile technique.
The Shoowa panels that result are works of remarkable graphic impact, mastering repetitive design with elements of irregularity that often have symbolic meanings but always assault the eye with their complexity.
Doug Dawson, the source for this Shoowa panel, has been a Chicago institution of ethnic authenticity and artistic excellence for decades.
19" high x 17 1/2" wide #AGT066