Bed cover c. 1970

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the almost ghostly, ethereal quality. It’s as if the object is fading even as we look at it. Editor: That makes sense. Here we have a bed cover, a textile work dating from around 1970, creator unknown. It's now held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. And what’s immediately apparent is the labor and the texture of this piece. Curator: Exactly. But what do we make of this choice to evoke such a fleeting atmosphere around something like a bed cover? Editor: Consider its function—protection, warmth, covering the sleeper during rest and vulnerability. Think of the hours dedicated to its weaving; consider that fiber art, historically marginalized, claims importance and dignity here. The meticulous labor contrasts dramatically with its humble role. Curator: Right. The shimmering texture—the overall paleness is broken by repeating leaf or diamond-like shapes around its circumference that interrupt an overall mandala-like motif, radiating tranquility or protection. Does this point towards a ritualistic element to sleep, safety and sanctuary? Editor: That reading isn't unsupported. I tend to look at the physical reality, here in the layered fibers and how that labor speaks to how textile arts have been treated, their historical role in the domestic sphere, and who makes the items and under what conditions. Here labor manifests tenderness and dedication to comfort and well-being through repetitive action. Curator: Yes. Its creation—a meditative practice through ornamentation – reveals much. This invites questions about feminine crafts and personal expression – can everyday objects act as touchstones that hold within them emotional worlds? Editor: The creation of an everyday item transforming that action into an elevated labor and also imbuing the work with new values. It makes you wonder who poured themselves into this repetitive work? Curator: Definitely changes how I will feel as I get under the covers tonight! Editor: Indeed, it’s a compelling contrast that provokes conversations about the social value of skilled manual creation and what those choices say about value and class.