ART ON VIEW
CIRCA KINGDOM FOUNDED GROWTH AND EXPANSION
1625
82
Shyaam áMbúl áNgoong, a foreign trader,
unites regional chiefs and founds the Kuba
Kingdom. He is also said to have introduced
new weaving techniques. No textiles from
this period are known to exist.
The Kuba state rapidly expands and begins to develop a sophisticated
bureaucracy and administrative system. New leaders celebrate their
power by wearing rich fabrics with repeating patterns and subtle color
contrasts. These designs were created for their own enjoyment and
would not have been readily visible to others.
CIRCA
1750
FIG. 22 (top left):
Prestige cloth. Kuba, Kasai
Province, DR Congo. 1958–
1959 (date range determined
by carbon-14 testing).
Raffi a palm fi ber. 38.1 x 71.1 cm.
Private collection. R.18060.12.
FIG. 23 (middle left):
Prestige cloth. Kuba, Kasai
Province, DR Congo.
1960s-early 1970s (assumed
date range based on style.
Raffi a palm fi ber. 34.9 x 71.1 cm.
Private collection. R.18060.8.
FIG. 24 (lower left):
Prestige cloth. Kuba, Kasai
Province, DR Congo. 1902–
1928 (date range determined
by carbon-14 testing).
Raffi a palm fi ber. 35.6 x 68.6 cm.
Private collection. R.18060.9.
FIG. 25 (right):
Map showing the Kuba region
in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.
Courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Design by Edna Jamandre.
FIG. 26 (below):
Skirt. Kuba, Kasai Province,
DR Congo. 1920–1940
(assumed date range based on
style).
Raffi a palm fi ber. 683.3 x 86.4 cm.
Private collection. R.18060.2.
FIG. 27 (bottom): Timeline of
the evolution of Kuba textiles.
Courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of
Art. Design by Heidi Herman and Edna
Jamandre.
CIRCA APEX OF POWER
1850
The kingdom reaches the height of its
power when it takes control of the ivory
and rubber trade. The increasing wealth
gives artists the time and financial ability
to create new and more involved designs.
1625–1736 1736–1800 1800–1885