Sheet with wavy lines and abstract pattern 1800 - 1900

This patterned sheet, now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was made with ink on paper, by an anonymous maker. The simple materials belie the complex process of creating such a pattern, which marries the freedom of hand-drawing with the precision of a repeatable design. The wavy lines and abstract motifs weren't simply drawn once, but carefully reproduced across the entire surface. This process likely involved block printing, where a carved block is inked and pressed onto the paper. Imagine the labor involved in carving the block itself, then carefully aligning and pressing it repeatedly to create the overall effect. There's a strong connection between this type of pattern-making and the industrial production of textiles or wallpaper. These patterns brought handcrafted aesthetics into everyday life. This artwork reminds us that what we often consider 'craft' can be deeply intertwined with labor, production, and the democratization of design. It invites us to think about the value we assign to both the handmade and the mass-produced.