shoowa (Cloth)

Acquired by the donor in a tourist gallery in South Africa, in 2005.

Long, rectangular, Shoowa cloth; made of two panels of woven raffia with uneven edges. Consists of a plain beige weave, with cut-pile and embroidered geometric designs. Different patterns on left and right panels; designs done in beige, brown, and black. Left panel decorated with rows of diamonds, with smaller diamonds inside each. Right panel has columns of alternating chevrons and diamonds; chevrons alternate between pointing up and down. Small diamonds inside each chevron. Additional diamonds woven throughout patterns, in brown and black. Back is undecorated. Outer edges of cloth are folded over onto front, forming a border.