Panel 19th-20th century

Curator: I find myself drawn to the repeating patterns on this textile piece; it’s got a hypnotic, meditative quality, almost like a visual mantra. Editor: Exactly! The "Panel" we’re observing dates back to the 19th or 20th century and originates from the Kuba people. The textile artwork utilizes both dyed raffia palm fibers, and can be seen at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Curator: Kuba textiles often strike me as a conversation between structure and improvisation. Do you feel the interplay of geometric shapes suggests certain societal principles? Editor: Without a doubt. Geometry provides a shared language for the culture's visual expressions of complex cosmological principles. The arrangement, repetition and variation signify hierarchy and power, maybe even life’s unfolding challenges, as it can evoke cultural narratives and genealogical links too. The symbols transmit values and reinforce Kuba’s complex societal fabric. Curator: So, far beyond pure decoration, these forms encode meaning, a history woven, or rather sewn into the very fabric, and you can literally feel its rich texture! There is something primal and reassuringly balanced with its compositions. Editor: I wonder how the original artist felt, painstakingly creating this, generation after generation, by unknown artisans using techniques perfected over time? A certain feeling of devotion certainly arises here... Curator: Yes, something about it touches on both the universal desire for harmony and the beauty of a very specific cultural vision. Editor: So true, the image remains timeless.