| Summary: | Textiles may be used as a vehicle to penetrate and exemplify a society's customs and
traditions. This dissertation concentrates on the Kuba cloths from Zaire and particularly
focuses on the social and political implications associated with these textiles. Part One
explores the economic aspects of the cloths and the values of work, wealth, status and
titleholding among the Kuba. The Kuba's aesthetic preference for pattern and design will
be contemplated in relation to the cloths and as an illustration of this culture's concern
with decoration and display. Part Two of this study examines the occasions for which
these cloths are adorned. It will be observed that these celebrations and rituals, in
conjunction with their ceremonial modes of dress, not only underline the importance of
the nation and its ideologies and customs (as examined in Part One) but serve to
acknowledge ethnic identity, as well as maintain and perpetuate the social and political
order of the Kuba. === Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology === M.A. (History of Art)
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