Woman's Ceremonial Underskirt

Kuba peoples

Not on view

Historically, the Kuba textiles tradition constitute a emblem of prestige, rank, and political status. Among the Kuba and related peoples, textiles were formerly used as a form of currency, and elaborately embroidered and decorated overskirts continue to be worn on important ceremonial occasions. At funerals of important leaders, textiles are displayed as ample testimony to the wealth and prestige of the deceased. The production of Kuba textiles draws upon both male and female creativity: men act as weavers of cloths which women painstakingly embroider. While abstract, each pattern and design motif is given an evocative name whose meaning is significant to the wearer though infrequently revealed to outsiders.

Woman's Ceremonial Underskirt, Raffia palm fiber, Kuba peoples

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.