Apart from their function within funeral rituals, Kuba
people in the Democratic Republic of Congo use their
embroideries as local currency.
Each piece is unique as the artisans each time improvise as
they work. For between two and ten embroideries you can buy
a young goat. The value depends on the beauty of the
artistic work and the quality of the craftsmanship.
When Congo finally gained its independence in 1960, there
were only 27 Congolese citizens with a university
education, making it almost impossible to create a
successful administration.
Since Mobutu gained power in 1965, Congo has been in a
"constant state of exception" and this has had a huge
impact on the Congolese Franc, meaning that the culture of
the homemade embroidery has survived as an alternative form
of currency.
