Traditional Kuba Cloth products from Warnyenga

Kuba Cloth and related products

The basis of this range of fabric products is Kuba cloth, named after the Congo tribe that makes it. This traditional cloth is still hand made in various villages according to age-old traditions and techniques.

The cloth is made in sections and joined to make up the specific items. For example, table runners are about 5 metres by 0.75 metres and this will be made from a number of panels stitched together. The designs are cut and sewn onto a base cloth. This is something like the Mola work of South America (coincidentally made by a similar sounding tribe, the Kuna Indians). The enormous variety of possible designs together with the specific handwork style of different crafters, make each cloth section unique and as varied as the imaginations of the crafters. It is quite impossible to find a duplicate cloth.

These Kuba cloth products have become collectors items, steeped in the traditions of Ancient Africa.

Details of some of the endless variety of patterns

The sewing techniques used were originally designed to decorate utility items like table cloths and garments. And while Kuba cloth is still used in this way, the cloth runners are now also appreciated as artworks in their own right and more often than not, are often found being used as wall decorations, just as are kelims and other similar mats and runners. Their rustic charm reflects the earthiness of the great African continent and its ancient peoples.

Indeed Kuba cloth ia vividly attractive and sometimes intricate, but it is also durable and ages well without losing its colour. The cloth is made from palm fibres that are spun and woven into this unique, decorative fabric. It washes well and withstands heavy use.

Samples from our ranges