plush fabric of the Shoowa

Raffia plush fabrics, also known as "Velours du Kasaï," are the most famous textiles of the Cuban people from the Kasaï region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Shoowa, a group within the Cuban Confederation, are considered masters of this technique.

Men weave the basic fabric from the fibers of the raffia palm, and women then embroider it. They pull raffia threads, dyed with plant-based dyes, through the fabric without knots and cut them into a fine, velvety pile. This is how the typical, densely interwoven geometric patterns are created.

These elaborately crafted fabrics served as currency in the Kingdom of Cuba and are still given as gifts at weddings, births, and other celebrations. Their design also inspired artists such as Paul Klee and Keith Haring.

Provenance: Galerie Walu, Basel.

Further reading: Georges Meurant, Dream Signs, Munich: Fred Jahn Publishing House, 1989.