Wall pocket whimsey 1912

This is a Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, wall pocket, and it's hard to put a date on it, but let's just say it's got that old-time charm. I’m really struck by how its makers use these little beads, and sequins, to build up a surface. It's so tactile, you just want to reach out and touch it! The base material is a soft tan, which gives it a muted sort of quality, like a memory. Then you've got these dark brown beads, that make up the floral motifs. See how they're not just placed randomly, but carefully arranged to create shapes and patterns? The floral designs, in particular, have an almost folk-art quality to them, a kind of naive charm. It reminds me of Gee’s Bend Quilts, the way these women used simple materials to make something beautiful and functional. Both embrace the idea of artmaking as a communal and ongoing process, a conversation across generations. There’s nothing fixed or definite about it, which is just how I like my art.