Mbuti Bark Cloth, Reimagined in Contemporary Styles (Early 1900s)
Cultural heritage of Democratic Republic of Congo
Bark Cloth - Contemporary Styles
Kuba People
early 1900s
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colorways
mbuti bark cloth: Stamped
Class: Digital Textiles – Woven
Medium: AI-generated Digital fabric inspired by Barkcloth
Dimensions: W. 31 In. × D.31 In. (78.7 cm x 78.7 cm)
Description: This barkcloth features a repeating pattern of circular and radiating motifs created through stamping or painting with natural pigments. The sunburst-like forms and small ring shapes are characteristic of barkcloth traditions in parts of Central and East Africa, where geometric repetition conveys rhythm, balance, and continuity. Such motifs are often associated with ideas of vitality, protection, and the cyclical nature of life. Traditional surface-design techniques were used such as stamping, stenciling, and hand painting with natural pigments. After the bark is harvested and softened through repeated beating, artisans apply designs using carved wooden stamps, fingers, or simple tools dipped in plant-based dyes or mineral pigments. The rhythmic repetition of the sunburst-like forms and ring shapes reflects careful planning and skilled handwork rather than mechanical printing.
(Source: The MET Museum Website)
colorways
mbuti bark cloth: painted
Class: Digital Textiles – WovenMedium: AI-generated Digital fabric inspired by Barkcloth
Dimensions: W. 31 In. × D. 31 In. (78.7 cm × 78.7 cm)
Description: This barkcloth features a dense, rhythmic arrangement of linear and curvilinear motifs painted in earthy red-brown pigment against a dark ground. The repeated vertical lines, zigzags, and spiral forms create a strong sense of movement and structure, reflecting a visual language commonly found in barkcloth traditions of Central and East Africa. Such motifs are often abstracted symbols rather than literal imagery, associated with ideas of continuity, protection, ancestry, and social order. The patterns are executed through traditional barkcloth-making techniques. After harvesting the inner bark of a fig or similar tree, the bark is soaked and repeatedly beaten with grooved wooden mallets to create a soft, flexible cloth. Once dried, designs are applied by hand using natural dyes made from plant matter, clay, or minerals. Artisans paint or draw motifs using fingers, sticks, brushes, or carved tools, and sometimes employ stamping to achieve repeated linear textures.
(Source: The MET Museum website)
colorways
