Painted Bark Cloth Lese people, Ituri Forest, D.R. Congo Bark of the fig tree, gardenia juice 29 inches (73.7 cm) high by 15 inches (38 cm) wide 20th century Ex Tom Phillips collection, UK A bark cloth from the Lese 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. Cf. Phillips, Tom. The Art of a Continent. Prestel, 1999 SOLD
