250902 - Rare African Pygmy Mbuti Barkcloth Ituri Rainforest cloth - Congo

Rare African Pygmy Mbuti Barkcloth Ituri Rainforest cloth - Congo
Size; 80 cm x 37 cm.

These magnificent objects are made from tree bark, more precisely the fibrous substance contained beneath the hardest surface layer of the trunk (Liber). These bark fibers are beaten until they become thin and supple.

While the Pygmy women of the Ituri forests determine the tree from which the bark will be taken, it is the men who beat and prepare it using mallets.

Symbolic motifs are then painted by the women using charcoal mixed with latex.

The finished product is called murumba, pongo, or lengbe.

The use of several tree species, particularly ficus, explains the colors ranging from white to orange to brown.

The Mbuti, one of the oldest indigenous peoples of the Congo region of Africa, are one of many groups of indigenous pygmies. They are hunter-gatherers who live in the Ituri Rainforest. The Mouti consist of relatively small bands, ranging from 15 to 60 people. The Mouti, survivors of an ancient race that once spread across the African continent, now live in scattered bands, ranging from 15 to 60 people, who wander from one camp to another in search of food and shelter. The forest, seemingly inhospitable to outsiders, provides natural protection for the pygmies.

The Mbuti, a semi-nomadic people, produce easily transportable art objects. Clothing and body decorations are of course central. Bark cloth is the traditional clothing of the pygmies and was originally used as loincloths for ceremonies and dances. The large pieces were made by women to house their newborn babies. Because the trees were considered sacred, the bark was believed to have a protective quality.

Recommended reading: For more information and similar examples, see MBUTI DESIGN-PAINTINGS BY PYGMY WOMEN OF THE ITURI FOREST. by Meurant and Thompson.