Cuff bands c. 20th century

These embroidered cuff bands, made by an anonymous artist, are preserved at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I love the way the tiny white stitches make little stars against the rich black ground, a reminder of the cosmos and the vastness of space. I wonder what the maker was thinking as they sat and stitched each of these. Were they imagining the wearer of these bands? Were they thinking about the repetition of pattern, the way one stitch echoes another across the field of fabric? Did they feel grounded, connected to others who came before, who’ve spent their time patiently and attentively marking cloth with thread? The handwork here speaks of dedication, not unlike Agnes Martin's subtle, meditative lines. These cuff bands stand as a testament to the quiet power of repetitive gesture, the slow accumulation of detail that transforms the ordinary into something luminous and profound. Every stitch is a breath.