Textile Storage Box
Kuba
Description
Subject Matter:
Kuba boxes served several purposes. Ornately decorated boxes were created as a form of competition among titled court members. Also, they were often used to hold objects such as razors for cutting raffia, personal care objects such as hairpins in addition to various ritual objects and medicinal substance.
This box could have potentially been used to store Kuba textiles. In the 19th century, decorated raffia cloth was used as a marker of prestige, as currency, to pay tribute, settle legal disputes, and in public displays such as the funerals of high-ranking titleholders. Additionally, they were often used as initiation objects during ceremonial rites of passage. The geometric patterns on the lid of this box resemble patterns found on Kuba basketry, woodwork, sculpture, and female body scarifications.
References:
Monni Adams, Kuba Embroidered Cloth, African Arts, 1978
Daniel Biebuyck, The Arts of Zaire, 1985
Georges Meurant, African Textiles from the Kingdom of Kuba, 1986
Roy Sieber, African Textiles and Decorative Arts, 1972
Physical Description:
Rectangular box made of fiber and wood with wooden lid. Intersecting lines that form diamond patterns are carved into the top of the lid.
Usage Rights:
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