Group of raffia weaving "bilaam" · D. R. Congo, Kuba-Shoowa · ID: 3043716
sold
EUR 900
Provenance
Roger de Vloo, Belgian missionary (collected in situ, 1954)De Vloo (born 1915) entered the order of the White Fathers in 1934. He travelled to Congo in 1946 to shoot documentaries about the congregation with the assistance of the Africa-Films production company. While he lived in Kivu, from 1947 to 1967, he filmed near to 70 films.
Size
L: 64 cm -76 cm
B: 9,5 cm -24,5 cm
L: 25.2 inch -29.9 inch
B: 3.7 inch -9.6 inch
Description
8 pieces, from the fibres of the raffia palm “raphia vinifera”, various sizes, embroidered with alternating graphic ornaments, accentuated by changing colours, with “velvet embroidery” (“Kasai plush”), traces of age (red colour slightly faded).
The size of a cloth (sing. “mbal”, pl. “bilaam”) was given by the natural length of the raphia fibres. Raffia cloth was used as currency throughout Central Africa. This assocation with value or wealth is still attributed to raffia textiles, especially those that are extensively decorated.