They are worn in the forest, and during dances performed for ritual purposes or for pure enjoyment. Mbuti learn how to make barkcloth from an early age.
Men prepare the cloth from the inner bark of several species of trees.
It is pounded with an ivory or wood mallet which may be incised with cross-hatch or linear grooves to impart a subtle textured surface. The process yields a supple fibrous canvas of various natural shades of white, tan, or red-brown. Mud immersions produce deep red and black grounds. Pigments, derived from forest plants such as the gardenia, are gathered by women, who paint their lyrical compositions with twigs, twine or their fingers, using their laps for support. Discontinuities in the complex pattern progressions of many paintings may reflect this technique of working in sections, or occasional collaborations between women.