Over in the northeastern rainforest, the Ituri, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo live the Mbuti people who make unique barkcloth.
Pounded out by men and decoratively planted by women, these cloths are worn or used to hang inside huts. If they are worn for ceremonial purposes they are called Pongo.
This example in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston was collected in the 1930s and shows the fine patterning that was achieved on these cloths, as does this piece. These excited collectors’ interest in the West who could see parallels with modern art movements and the video below shows the Los Angeles County Museum of Art collection when it was on display in 2011.
There is also a link between music and the textiles, according to some sources, who point out that the decorations share common elements with the complex music of the forest people.
Further information: second half of this Google collection. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-bakuba-and-mbuti-textiles-and-tapas-museu-afro-brasil/WgVhm55aP6tnKA?hl=en
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