Belt c. early 20th century

Here we have a belt made by an anonymous artist, we don’t know when, made with silk and metal-wrapped thread. It’s just over 8 feet long, and kind of narrow, made of woven purple silk with these dangly bits at the ends. I love that it's anonymous, because sometimes it's freeing to think about how all makers are in conversation with each other, across time, and we don't always need to know who made what. I imagine them weaving away, the silk sliding through their fingers, trying things out and improvising along the way. It is all so purple and gold! Purple is such an emotional color, don't you think? I think about those tassels at the ends, how they look all tied and knotted. They must have taken so long. I bet the artist was thinking about how it would feel to wear this belt, how the colors would shimmer in the light. This work is not just about utility, it's about joy and expression, connecting us to the past through the handmade.