Belt c. 20th century

This woven belt, by an unknown artist, is rich with symbolism and likely took time and patience to produce. It is a long, narrow rectangle adorned with rows of abstracted figures and geometric shapes, rendered in muted reds and creams. I can only imagine the artist, sitting at their loom, carefully interlacing each thread with intention. They probably lost themselves in the rhythm of the process, and in the stories each figure represents. The figures themselves seem to dance and play across the surface of the belt, perhaps communicating ancient narratives or social histories. The colors, too, feel grounded in the earth, a palette that speaks of the natural world. I love how the artist has employed the simplest of shapes, triangles, zigzags, rectangles, to form a complex, unified pattern. This recalls the work of artists such as Anni Albers, who found infinite possibilities within the grid. The artist’s hand is present in every knot and weft, a testament to the enduring power of creative expression.