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December 2021
Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia
By the 20th century, many in Sweden worried about the ravages of industrialization, urbanization, and emigration on traditional ways of life; Norway was gripped in a struggle for national independence; and the indigenous Sámi communities rose up in protests that demanded political recognition and sparked cultural renewal. “Dressing with Purpose” examines three of the Scandinavian dress traditions—Swedish folkdräkt, Norwegian bunad, and Sámi gákti—and traces their development during two centuries of social and political change across northern Europe. From left to…
Find out more »Weaving Stories
Weaving Stories brings together about forty-five outstanding examples of textiles from dozens of communities in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, most dating to the 19th and 20th centuries. Learn how fabrics were woven into the daily lives of the peoples of Southeast Asia, telling stories of identity, faith, status, and women as artistic innovators. Archival photographs and multimedia displays illustrate how these textiles were made and used. Ceremonial textile (tampan), approx. 1700–1800. Indonesia; Lampung, Sumatra, Paminggir people. Cotton. Asian Art…
Find out more »Ancient Andean Textiles
Drawing from the textiles of the permanent collection, this rotation represents several different civilizations that flourished in the ancient Andes (today Peru) and parts of adjacent countries. Though unrelated by cultural affiliation, they are unified by being special in some way, whether through rarity, complexity of execution, or luxuriousness of materials. The centerpiece of the display is a unique cloth that experts regard as one of the greatest paintings to survive from South American antiquity. Other textiles in the rotation…
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