The embroidered raffia cloths produced in the Kongo Kingdom of western Zaire were greatly admired in post-Renaissance Europe and entered the curio cabinets and treasuries of nobles and kings as the finest products of African artistry alongside the celebrated ivory carvings from Benin and Coastal Sierra Leone.
The patterns used by women in the embroidery of cut-pile cloth are generally drawn from a huge repertoire of known patterns, at least two hundred of which are identified by name. The same patterns are used on other Kuba art forms, including wood sculpture, metal working, mat making, and women's body scarification.
