Kunduri Cloth c. 20th century

This Kunduri Cloth was made by an anonymous artist, its date unknown, and it’s full of patient, loving labor. Look at the figures, the animals, the trees. They're all stitched with such care, aren't they? The cloth has this amazing earthy tone, like it’s been kissed by the sun. The texture is built up slowly through stitching, layer upon layer. Notice how the maker uses simple running stitches to give shape to the bodies of the elephants and horses. The lines are not perfect, they are imperfect. See that patch of blue stitching near the center? It's like a little splash of sky peeking through the earth tones. It’s so simple, and yet it carries so much emotional weight. It draws you in, doesn’t it? I am reminded of the quilts of Gee’s Bend in the way that the overall composition embraces repetition and pattern making. Like those quilts, this cloth has a logic of its own, inviting us to interpret it, inviting us to join the conversation.