Textured Tuesday: Majestic African Textiles

After leaving Ai Weiwei's exhibit Saturday at 

the Indianapolis Museum of Art, I took a bit of time 

to visit some of the other galleries.

In the Gerald and Dorit Paul Gallery, I found

Majestic African Textiles, an exhibit of 

beaded and embroidered objects, drawn primarily

from the IMA's textile collection.

The exhibit is organized by geographic region, 

representing various ethnic groups, and includes

items ranging from royal and prestige cloths,

masking and ritual garments.

The colors and patterns are wonderful and

strikingly contemporary, with masterfully

balanced shapes that would be the envy 

of any modern painter.

My favorite piece is an intricately

constructed garment, an Egyptian woman's shawl

made in the early 1900s. It is almost entirely

covered in strips of German silver attached to

a backing cloth of cotton netting.

From a distance the scarf almost gives 

the appearance of silver lame'.

I wa-a-a-a-nt one.