20th Century Bark Cloth Painting, Mbuti ‘Efe’ People, D.R. Congo

A painted barkcloth from the Efe people in the Ituri forest of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. These were made from the inner bark of trees, pounded and prepared by men, then painted by women with twigs, fingers or twine. They were folded in half over a sash or belt and worn as ritual dress for celebrations and rites of passage.
This piece was collected in the 1980s by a noted ethnologist working on an Ituri forestry project and measures 36.5 by 19? (92.7 by 48.2 cm).

Published as a drawing in “Mbuti Design: Paintings by Pygmy Women of the Ituri Forest” by Georges Meurant and Robert Farris Thompson, p. 144, illustration 16. Please see photo of page and cover of book.