Native American Ribbon Appliqué

by Susan Neill

Ribbonwork is a relatively new textile tradition developed by Native American women in the Great Lakes region after they came into contact with Europeans. Traditionally, ribbonwork panels are constructed with layers of cut and sewn silk ribbon and attached to garments made from wool trade cloth. Since the 1920s, fabric cut-outs have gradually replaced the continuous lengths of ribbon, hence, the current tradition is known as ribbon appliqué.

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection contains eleven examples of ribbon appliqué. Women's garments include leggings, blouses, READ MORE

Toda Puthkuli

By Mary Ann Fitzgerald

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection includes textiles from the Toda people of the Nilgiri Mountains in southwestern India. These pieces are characterized by geometric embroidery patterns in black (or dark blue) and red thread READ MORE

Egyptian Pounded Metal Shawls

by Andrea Hoffman

The discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in November of 1922 sparked an extraordinary craze in the West for Egyptian-influenced goods. The vogue infiltrated popular fashion, and merchants offered an array of garments and accessories inspired by ancient artifacts. Contemporary Egyptian goods were also desired, and in particular cotton net cloths heavily embellished with metal wire were purchased in massive quantities from areas such as Asyut, Egypt. The cloths quickly became one of the trendiest accessories of READ MORE

Pabuji Phada: New Information on Rajasthani Storycloth

By Mary Ann Fitzgerald

Phadas are large cloth folk paintings carried from village to village by bhopas (storytellers) of the Nayak tribe in Rajasthan, Northern Gujarat and Western Madhya Pradesh.Phadas depict legendary tales of famous persons who have READ MORE

Clothing and culture are inextricably intertwined in South Asia. Dress reflects gender, ethnicity, religion, occupation, social status, and wealth in addition to individual taste. Because of the subcontinent’s size and the artistic richness of its cultures, what people wear is tremendously varied, visually engaging, and meaningful. LEARN MORE

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