Blanket- wrapper- c. 20th century

This blanket-wrapper, by Tangkhol, is made of cotton. I love how the piece uses stripes to divide the space, and the eye is led by a vertical rhythm. It's such an inviting image, like looking at a map, and imagining where this piece may have traveled. There's a lovely contrast between the density of the woven material and the relative lightness of the openwork fringe. The color palette is grounded in reds, with punctuations of black, and flashes of yellow, green, and blue. Those colors lend the piece a feeling of warmth, not unlike the coziness the blanket might provide. The eye hops between the various colours of the lozenge patterns, which gives a vibrant complexity to the piece. This piece makes me think of the work of Anni Albers. Similar to Albers, Tangkhol has a keen understanding of material and structure, and creates a visual experience out of the process. In the end, this blanket is both an aesthetic object and an item of practical use.