Highly prized for their complex patterns, these tactile cloths from the DRC are each handcrafted in the traditional way, the men weaving on a small hand loom and the women embroidering the squares.
Kuba ceremonial squares can take three months to complete. A technique known as “cut pile” in which the ends of the raffia embroidery threads are cut very short and close to the surface, produces a soft texture similar to velvet. This is why it is nicknamed as “Kasai velvet”. They are sewn together for, among other uses, ceremonial dress, to cover royal stools or used as currency.
The cut-pile tapestry cloths are called “shoowa” while the word “Kuba” means “lighting” referring to the blades that were once used by Kuba warriors.
Another example of Kuba textile can be seen in this British Museum Exhibit.
As a result of large-scale violence against civilians, some 5.6 million Congolese are internally displaced in the DRC, with over 4 million in eastern provinces. Over 990,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from the DRC are currently sheltered across the African continent.
At the same time, the DRC hosts over 529,000 refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled violence or conflict in neighboring countries-mainly, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.