New Arrivals

Good Design!

	Kuba cloth Tcaka or Dance Skirt; Kuba People; Democratic Republic Of Congo, Central Africa; 20th C.; 216 L x 34 W Inches;  I.D. #T0306-016; $4,295

What is good design? Is it a purely rational process leading to appealing, relevant objects; or is it a less calculated, more random method of creation? Is good design the result of a progressive step by step approach; or is it something revealed all at once, the “Big Aha” requiring reverse engineering to become literal? The concept of design can relate to many fields and manifest itself as specifications, plans, products, objects, and philosophies, tangible and otherwise. For example, you might consider a life well lived to be designed well. Yet, good design relies less on definition than description. A subjective state requiring sensitive evaluation, it reflects informed judgment and this week’s New Arrival.

Detail of Kuba cloth Tcaka or Dance Skirt; I.D. # T0306-016. To learn how textiles like this can be re-purposed for modern use read the related blog

This week’s New Arrival features a ceremonial textile woven by the Kuba people who live in today’s Republic of Congo in Central Africa. Created by men and women working side by side, the piece is woven with organic fiber derived from the Raffia palm tree, the plant with the longest leaves in the world. Physical makeup aside, this textile is also noteworthy for its visual composition. The Kuba people are famous for complex, abstract geometric motifs adorning their textiles. Called a unique "visual script,” no one knows exactly what these motifs represent or why they became popular among this tribal group. Yet, most agree they symbolize the language of good design.