Kuba Velvet details photos by Edward Addeo for Hand/Eye
Textiles of the Kuba peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo are made from raffia palm. The grassy fiber, teased from the underside of the young leaf, produces an extremely fine thread that is then woven by village men on single-heddle looms. The women of the village then decorate the fabric by tie-dying, appliqué, cowrie shells, embroiderying with a flat continuous stitch or with tufts of thread that form a velvety pile. This is time-consuming work and it takes about a year for a woman to produce.








