Veil c. 20th century

Here's a long irregular veil printed with blocks by an anonymous artist. I can only imagine the time it took to press those blocks, repeating the pattern over and over. I can picture the artist carefully lining up each block, pressing it firmly onto the fabric, and then moving on to the next one. Did they work alone, or with others? What conversations did they have while they worked? The flowers, in muted shades of red, bloom on a dark background. The plants and flowers are dense but regular, and the composition has a hypnotic rhythm. But look closely, and you'll see slight variations in the printing, each motif with its own personality. You know, making something repetitive can be meditative. Each little variation is a clue that it was made by a person, not a machine. And that's what makes it beautiful. It reminds us that we're all connected through making. The tradition continues from artist to artist, from maker to maker, across time.