Woven Through Time and Place
Location: South Lobby Gallery
Open: August 26, 2024 - January 23, 2025
Lead Curator: Brandie Macdonald, Chief Curator
About the Exhibition
Woven Through Time and Place features the beautiful textiles stewarded by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Each semester will feature a different selection of textiles, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the breadth and depth of the collection. The next round of textiles will be installed in February 2025.
About the Textiles on Display
A wide variety of techniques are used to create patterns and designs on fabrics. For example, woven patterns, beadwork, embroidery, dyeing, and applique. Techniques may be widespread or tied to a certain geographic region, culture, clan, artist, culture bearer, or family.
The textiles in this exhibition show various techniques and designs.
The Spanish-American blanket and Scottish-American coverlet are examples of woven design techniques. The Pakistani ralli is appliqued pieces of fabric which are sewn on a base to create patterns. The pieces from Nigeria and Ghana showcase different resist techniques in which the maker created a barrier to prevent the indigo dye from saturating the fabric in selected spots. Starch, wax, thread, rubber bands, or seeds may be used for this type of process. The Nigerian robe on display also features detailed embroidery.