This paper describes the production of raffia textiles and their conservation. Clans of the Kuba people of Zaire gather fibers from the <i>Raphia Vinifera</i> palm and prepare them to produce textiles that repeat the elaborate decorative patterns found in the regional architecture, basketry, carvings, etc. The basic cloth units are woven on a typical loom and either hemmed or joined together to form panels of 25 to over 30 feet in length. Four basic techniques are used to embellish the fabric: embroidery, appliqué, patchwork and dyeing (with both natural and synthetic dyes in a full spectrum of colors). The three distinct types of embroidered cloth (cut pile, uncut or flat, and openwork) are described and illustrated. The finished cloth is used to make voluminous ceremonial overskirts used by both sexes, and the tradition for their use endures. Conservation treaments for the often brittle and soiled pieces on which the author worked involved washing, blocking, mending, patching, and mounting for display. Humidification was generally a necessary step prior even to mending and washing, and the operation is described in a technically advanced set-up but can also be carried out with more limited equipment.