Loincloth in painted barkcloth (Barkcloth) - Tapa - Mbuti...

Barkcloth beaten and painted (barkcloth / tapa) from the tradition of the Mbuti hunter-gatherers of the Ituri Forest. Handcrafted by pounding the inner bark of wild fig and decorated by Mbuti women with natural plant and mineral pigments. The work presents a complex abstract composition of grids and rhythmic lines, a symbolic fusion of vegetation, light, and the sounds of the rainforest. • Motif symbolism: ◦ Grids and crossed lines: They represent the interweaving of vegetation, forest lianas, or the weave of mats and hunting traps. ◦ Geometric/curved elements: They symbolize sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees, animal tracks, or the sounds/vibrations of the forest during hunting. Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Ituri Forest Culture: Mbuti people (Pygmy tribe) Material: Beaten wild fig bark, natural pigments Late 20th century (ca. 1980–1990) Dimensions: 94 × 70 cm Weight: 200 g Shipped via courier with insured item

Estimate:£1.67

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