Kuba Textiles and Design

An engaging introduction to one of the most unusual and fascinating of all African art forms. The textiles of the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are decorated not with human or animal figures, but with astonishing abstract designs: chevrons, squares, lozenges, crosses and spirals, in repeating patterns that shift and interlace. Although the Kuba people have been producing textiles for four hundred years, there is something strikingly modern about their traditional designs. In Kuba Textiles and Design, authors Elizabeth Bennett and Niangi Batulukisi use gorgeous color photographs and accessible text to explain the history of Kuba textiles, the laborious process required to create them and the complex symbolism of their designs. Including chapters on every major type of Kuba textile, this book is an excellent entry point for casual readers as well as collectors hoping to learn more about the pieces they treasure.