This is a traditional African Bakuba cloth also known, as a Showa was hand woven by the Baluba tribe of the Bushoong Kingdom in Zaire. The cloths are woven from raffia palm leaves – left in its natural colour or dyed with organic red, brown and ochre dyes. It is sewn into appliqué and reverse appliqué. Each pattern is known by name and is designed from memory by the women whilst the men weave the base. The Bakuba kingdom can trace its history back through verbal lore to the 16th century when it is said that Shamba Bolongongo introduced this technique of fabric making to the Bukuba royal court. The textile functions as gifts to establish relations of reciprocity as compensation in a legal settlement or as part of a marital contract. They are also used to cover royal thrones and shroud the dead bodies of royalty. They art used as African art and are a wonderful example of African textile art.