Kuba skirts, Tcaka, long are cloths made from raffia, from 8 - 25 feet long, from the Ngeende, Bushoong and Ngongo peoples. They incorporate appliqued "patches", embroidered shapes and patterns, openwork, tie-dye, cowrie shells, barkcloth and border elements. The appliqued "patches" originally repaired holes, then developed into traditional design motifs. .Most are covered with geometric symbols; many are restrained, subtle and rhythmic designs using one technique; others create amazing quilt-like assemblages of old pieces of many forms. The full skirts, worn by men and women, are bunched up and wrapped around many times.

A NOTE ABOUT THESE PHOTOGRAPHS: Being as long as they are, these skirts are extremely difficult to photograph. Although the color tends to be fairly uniform, they do appear lighter at the top than the bottom due to the location of the light source.What you see here are sections up to eight feet long taken from both ends. If the cloth is longer than sixteen feet, there will be a section in the middle that is unphotographed. Any serious stains, holes or discolorations will be shown in the detail. These photographs were taken with the cloth hanging loosely. It can be pinned flat for display.

CARE: The cloth is not fragile and can be pinned onto a wall or panel for display. To eliminate wrinkles, the cloth can be misted with water, and then gently ironed on the back.

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