SHOOWA, Kuba Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo. Two panels of woven and embroidered raffia fibres with a beautiful and complex geometric design that has inspired artists such as Klimt, Matisse and Klee. Provenance: Collection of Patrice CHRISTY, an acknowledged specialist in wildlife conservation, particularly in Africa. He has co-authored several works on biodiversity, and his work has made a major contribution to understanding and preserving bird species in Africa, particularly in Gabon and Sâo-Tomé et Principe. All his objects were collected in the 1970s.