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Old African bark cloth/20th century/Mbuti Pygmy Barkcloth Textile

About the Item

This cloth was made by the Mbuti people, a pygmy tribe living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Mbuti are hunter-gatherers who live in the Ituri rainforest, a tropical rainforest that spreads across the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are characterized by their small size, and are said to never exceed 150 cm in height. This bark cloth is made by tapping softened tree bark and applying various patterns to it, or by connecting pieces dyed in different colors together. In addition to using it as clothing for themselves, it was also given to neighboring tribes for medical treatment and barter. In the 1980s, it was also exported to Europe and America as a trade item. It was basically made to be used as an apron or loincloth, and is about 70cm to 80cm long and 40cm to 70cm wide. There are a variety of free and interesting patterns, and the design is geometric and reminiscent of abstract paintings. Specialist books contain other designs and photos of the production process, so please take a look. There are still some that were imported to Japan a long time ago, and this is thought to be one of them. There are not many left, so this is a rare piece. If you pin it on the wall and display it, it will look like a beautiful decorative painting. Highly recommended. Weight: approx. 130g
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 34.65 in (88 cm)Width: 16.15 in (41 cm)Depth: 0.08 in (2 mm)
  • Style:
    Other (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    20th century
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Sammu-shi, JP
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU5487243740032

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