Gobelin Tapestries Essay

Guatemala is home to a centuries-old weaving tradition through which indigenous women assert a sense of “belongingness” to family and community. The women and their families are descendants of the ancient Maya Indians, and the tools of their trade are cotton yarn, the backstrap loom, and time-proven patterns and techniques. Each village and region is identifiable for its own weaving design and colors. Techniques and designs are passed from mother to daughter and traditional clothes are still preferred by most. Some believe that the different patterns existed before the Spaniards arrived. Others believe they were brought from Europe. It is known that the conquistadors used the clothing to label people and control the populations. The traditional technique was to wrap the threads on a warping board, and then mount them on back-strap loom where a panel was woven. Panels were decorated with brocade designs depending on the textile tradition of the weaver’s community as well as her personal taste and skills. Finally, the woven panels were sewn together to make a garment (Guatemalan Culture).

Both of these boats were made of wood, and both were held together with vegetable compounds. Although the Egyptians used wet reeds as caulk for the seams of lumber, the Chinese used strong fibers pulled off of plants to secure small parts together.

The first art piece consists of a beautiful curtain fragment of coptic textile from the late Roman and early Byzantine 4th century. Woven textiles were commonly incorporated in Byzantine clothing tapestries, furniture coverings and curtains. The most expensive textiles were made of silk. Inexpensive textiles like the curtain fragment were made of linen and wool. Although dyed textiles were rare, they were colored with plant based dyes like saffron or minerals (Carrol, pg.57). The majority of textiles were created by the horizontal two-beam loom later to be replaced by the vertical loom and domed spindle whorl.

On viewing her work, I am reminded of the traditional art of quilt making, an art once dismissed as “women’s work” but reevaluated by the Pattern and Decoration movement during the second wave of feminism during the 1970’s. Historically quilt makers have used its qualities to communicate political and social messages. For example, the Abolition quilts made during the US Civil war era were inscribed with messages decrying the evils of slavery. However, Gower uses the repetitions of the motifs and tessellations of quilt making practice to draw attention to the excesses of mass

Aztec clothing usually were made out of cotton or ayate fiber. Women weaved the fibers into the clothing. This was taught to young girls.The Aztecs used the beautiful dyes

Stone age people took needles from animal bones and used the thread to sew animal hide and fur into clothes, and shoes. It was used to create string or yarn that had many uses, like in making baskets.

The woolen bedcovers were made of a woolen or glazed worsted fabric dyed in neutral colors as a top layer, with the filling was a soft layer of carded wool; the layers were held together

The ranking women in the Tonga society would make something called barkcloth. Barkcloth is a soft, thick and textured fabric that is made by the bark of a Mulberry tree.

To make the cloth the mill girls would put cotton on their spinning wheel to make thread. Then they would put the thread on a bobbin which the doffers (bobbin girls) brought to the weavers. Then the thread gets weaved into finished cloth which would then be

woolen yarn (Buckley 12). A layer of white cotton string is wrapped around the yarn (Honig

The muslin dress was the most symbolic item associated with Regency women fashion. The word muslin could be used for both fabric and dress made of it. It is plain-woven light soft cotton fabric without a pattern. Muslin was used as a foundation of a dress or as dress by itself.

In Hans Christian Andersen's legendary tale, the Emperor was conned by two swindlers into believing that "they were weavers, and they said they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. Not only were their colors and patterns uncommonly fine, but clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office, or who was unusually stupid."

To make the clothing I will have to start weaving thread. My mom and I will be using clay and forming it into shapes. We will also be making jewlery with shells and stones and then later putting it on string.

Hammocks were originally made from the bark of Hamak trees and only in the last 50-70 years has cotton been the main fibre to use.

Throughout the vast history of art, historians can find connections throughout the centuries. Artists from the beginning of humankind have been inspired by the world around them. From the Apollo 11 stones to present day, history and culture have provided inspiration and have been the focus of various pieces. Examining artwork from the 15th-18th century, viewers can be shown a whole world that would be unknown to us without these artist’s contributions. History, religion, and cultural events have sculpted the art world, and we can observe this through many pieces during the 15th-18th centuries.