Border c. 19th century

This is an anonymous textile border, made of cotton using weaving and embroidery techniques. Its red and white designs are geometric. The red parts of the textile were created through supplementary weft embroidery. This labor-intensive method involves using a needle to manually stitch the design into the ground fabric as it is woven, building it up thread by thread. Given the fineness of the cotton, the weaver-embroiderer would have had to exercise remarkable discipline and control. The geometric motifs have a powerful presence, which the maker carefully considered. The overall effect is highly refined. It is a testament to the maker’s skill and their culture’s rich aesthetic heritage. Ultimately, the value of this work lies in its material and the making processes that brought it into being. By looking closely at the weaving and embroidery, we can better understand and appreciate the human effort and cultural meaning embodied in this textile border.