This archaeological textile originated from the Chancay people, an indigenous group that occupied territory in the central coast of current-day Peru from 1000-1470 CE. A complex tapestry consisting of repeating colored squares containing a Pelican…
Andean textiles are some of the most intricate and technically complex textiles in the world, reflecting development over thousands of years prior to Spanish contact and continuing through modern times. Textiles were used in Andean culture as a form…
These three archaeological textile fragments represent the diversity of Andean weaving styles. Design motifs include imagery of serpents, birds, and stars and are reflective of indigenous cosmological beliefs. These pieces also demonstrate the wide…
The name for this Romanian folk blouse is the IA, traditionally worn on sacred days, when Romanians believe “the sky is open” (Corduneanu, 2016). The design is characterized by the variety and placement of the embroidery stitches. Each section of…
The apron is first and foremost a garment. It is worn in two panels over an embroidered shirt, called a vyvhyvanka, covered at the waist by a wrapped belt, called a krayka, and topped with many overgarments (UATV English, 2017). The two-panel nature…
This headdress identifies the wearer as an unmarried woman from the Black Forest area of southwest Germany. This large, forested mountain range, bounded by the Rhine River to the west and south, contains many small, relatively inaccessible valleys to…
Huipils are precolonial garments used by indigenous people within the Mayan region in Central America. The Maya civilization developed thousands of years ago, with descendants living today in an area that incorporates southeast Mexico, all of…
This robe represents one style (kurte) of the embroidered long-sleeved robes and mantles worn by Tekke tribe women of the Turkmen ethnic group of Central Asia. (Meller, 2013). Kurtes were worn as outdoor coats by Tekke women, topping their daily…
This garment is a tiered skirt with gathering at the waist covered by a plain waistband. The skirt is made from strips of alternating patchwork and ribbon applique, machine sewn together, with seven tiers in total.
Three of the tiers (tiers 3, 5, and…