Burse and Chalice Veil c. 1940

This Burse and Chalice Veil was made by Syrena Swanson. I can imagine Swanson carefully arranging the shapes and forms here; the square playing off the rectangle; the flowers in full bloom connected by their stems and the small cross beneath. What might she have been thinking as she stitched? I can imagine Swanson turning this piece in her hands, considering the balance of its composition. The symmetry is pleasing, but I wonder if she considered disrupting it to add tension or movement? The colours—pinks, greens, and browns—are earthy and subdued, creating a calm, contemplative mood. For me, this piece exists in conversation with work by Rosie Lee Tompkins or even Gee’s Bend quilters, who also transformed everyday materials into objects of beauty. It's the kind of work that makes you think about how we imbue objects with meaning, and how acts of making can become forms of meditation, prayer, and connection.