The Democratic Republic of Congo, briefly named Congo,
is a country in central Africa. Its name was formerly Zaire.
The word Kongo means hunter in Kikongo, one of the languages
in the country. The country has about 66 million inhabitants.
The traditional dress in the country is a pagne. This
is the name for the lively and coloured substance from which
skirts, dresses, undershirts and much more is made. It is
lesser known that this clothing also expresses a symbolic
language. The design and cut can you tell if you the person
is wealthy or not. In addition the social status of the wearer
is made known: if you are married or if you are a bachelor,
if you are in love, if your spouse is taking good care of
you…etc
The material below, used for clothing and other uses,
is sold by the meter. It is striking how many times the name
Jehovah is written on it. The use of God’s name in this
region is very common.
