Luxury Cloth: Cushion Cover

17th–18th century, inventory 1854

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This double-sided cushion cover and a closely related one from Copenhagen on view feature similar designs of a rectangular grid framing alternating abstract knot motifs. As evident even in this small selection of luxury cloths, Kongo textiles were carefully standardized. The threads were inspected, and the best were used for clothing, wall hangings, cushion covers, and carpets for the rich and powerful. While they were embellished with designs that were widely favored, these motifs were continually reinterpreted.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Luxury Cloth: Cushion Cover
Date: 17th–18th century, inventory 1854
Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo; Republic of the Congo; Angola
Culture: Kongo peoples; Kongo Kingdom
Medium: Raffia
Dimensions: 21 x 21 in. (53.5 x 53.5 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Woven
Credit Line: National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing