Tassel band 1930 - 1940

This tassel band was made anonymously, and although we don't know exactly when, it evokes a sense of timeless artistry through its intricate craftsmanship. Imagine the artist carefully selecting each bead, each thread, with a deep understanding of color and texture, creating rhythm and a visual language. How do you think the artist felt while making it? It might be a meditative state, full of focus, patience, and pride. The surface of the textile is captivating! Rows of dark red netting make a crosshatch pattern with horizontal lines across the center of the band, which is overlaid at the bottom with a dense fringe of beads in silver, red, and black. It is a systematic yet playful exploration of form and materials. The tassels remind me of the art of Sheila Hicks, whose fiber sculptures burst forth with color and texture. There is something so human about handmade things. These kinds of pieces speak to us across time and place.