Traditional Embroidery

Cotton, first domesticated in 2300-1760 B.C.E had been domesticated and heavily cultivated and manufactured into textiles for export (dying techniques had become prominent as

Chola Dynasty, which is also known as one of the greatest periods in Asia for sculpture. This time period was also well-known for bronze sculptures but this particular sculpture in Met was copper alloy probably because from my knowledge, at that time, copper was better for carving and sculpting but now a days, there are paintings of the Nataraja that are colorful, too (with a lot of colors, and much easier to see and understand). Also, being that it was copper to me it looked a little dull because I have seen the sculpture in the different colors, shapes and sizes. There are many other brass figures depicting Shiva as Lord of the Dance in different postures of the dance. When these sculptures were made only fortunate classes such as royals and priest could view the deities and people who were poor wasn’t able to. But now, everyone can see it, and have it. The pose, Shiva with his four arms is called “tribhanga in Bharantanayam” (another classical dance of South India).

The art depicts to me the Indian life cycle and religious perspective when she poses in different forms which she depicts with her hands and feet (Shiva). According to MFAH bulletin board, it explains the nonverbal poses that “Shiva Nataraja” makes such the little man underneath her feet is “Apasmara” resembles the human race “ignorance, forgetfulness, and recklessness”, and one of her hands depicts holding a “…drum…beat of this drum signifies the sound of creation” and her large third eye resembles the looks between “truth” and “illusion” (Shiva). Also, it amazes me the vivid image the artist presented from this bronze statue of “Shiva Nataraja” which depicts in a live and dynamic form.

Lariat; from the Spanish "la riata," meaning "the rope," sometimes called a lasso, especially in the East, or simply, a "rope". This is a tightly twisted stiff rope, originally of rawhide or leather, now often of nylon, made with a small loop at one end called a "hondo.

For the past hundred years the need for clothing increased since the number of people of keeps growing. As the years go on, producers must find new ways to produce more clothing to make more profit and keep up with demand. Before people would either have to ride all the way into town to have tailors make their clothes, or have someone at home make the clothing for them. But as the years progressed, methods have changed dramatically.

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.

Documents 1, 2, and 7, are charts that shows the production of cotton yarn and cloth throughout the years along with women labor. From 1884-1914 in India, hand spun yarn decreased from 150 to 90 millions of pounds. Machine spun yarn increased from 151 to 652 millions of pounds (document 1). Unlike the hand spun yarn in India the hand spun cloth increased as well as the machine spun cloth, but the hand spun

Quilting can also be used for expression of oneself or for social commentary. Back in the 1800’s when there were many wars women would usually make quilts because they were what was needed in those times and the fabric was often hard to come by and it was usually saved for clothes making.” It was a means to escape from the isolation of their lifestyle and it allowed them the artistic freedom to express themselves. The quilts produced by our ancestors told stories about their lifestyles that could not be captured by pen and paper. Every quilt we see today, regardless of when the quilt was made, relates a story. The types of fabrics, the design of the quilt, the signature of the quilter, all reveal an intimate story of the woman or man who made the quilt.” (Meeske,Quilt Me a Story) They used quilting to get out of the bleakness and horrible things that were going on in their lives at the moment and put how they felt in the quilts. Around the mid-1800’s women quilted a lot more to show artistic talent, political views, and even their emotions. “Prior to a woman’s ability to vote, some women used their artistic talents and expressed their political views through a quilt. The issue of slavery in the United States in the mid-1800s led to quilt patterns called Slave Chain

The earliest crochet was made by using fingers, rather than the hooks used today. The history can be traced back to the early 1500 BC, as part of nun’s work, which included needlepoint lace and bobbin lace. (Bardum)

Today women with noble birth in the Kautaha tribe produce the barkcloth. The men plant the Mulberry tree and it takes 2-3 years for the tree to be ready to be cut down and used to make barkcloth. After the tree has been cut, the women then strip off the outer bark and soak the inner bark in water in order to prepare the bark for further processing. The women then place the soaked inner bark strops over a wooden anvil and repeatedly strike the bark with a wooden beater. They continue to do this until the bark is flat. Folding and layering the bark strips while beating them, results in a wider piece of bark than that of the original strips. After all of the bark has been beaten, the bark is set outside to be bleached by the sun. Next, the strips are placed over semicircular boards. Once they have been fastened to the boards, the women attach an embroidery design to the tablet. They transfer the design from the tablet to the piece of bark by rubbing. After this, the women then fill in the lines and patterns with pigments such as brown, red and black. These pigments that are used are derived from things such as clay, soot and fruits. These barkcloths play a very

In 1830, Barthelemy Thimmonier, a French tailor, patented the first functional sewing machine that used a hooked embroidery-type needle to produce a chain stitch. However, in 1841, after successfully using his machines to mass produce army clothing, his production facility was destroyed and he was almost killed by other tailors in the town who were angry and threatened by the machine’s efficiency and utility. In America during the early 1830’s, a New York inventor, Walter Hunt, produced the first sewing machine that created a lockstitch. As a result, thinking changed and duplication of the human hand stitch was no longer the standard that inventors were measured by. Hunt at that time did not see the promise of his invention and did not file for a patent to protect it. He sold his interest for a small fee. (Museum of American Heritage, 2010).

These myths and rituals were also a source of inspiration for much aboriginal art, including paintings, carved objects, symbolic weapons and poetic chants. The forms of art varied according to region, with differences in the decoration of objects and weapons depending on local myths and traditions.

Culturally, the symbolism of a quilt is understood to be an heirloom piece that is closely guarded and highly prized. The ownership of the quilt and the generational lines it passes down is known before the piecing is begun. Stitching the pieces together is done by groups of women. The tiny bits of cloth each carry a memory, one from grandpa's shirt, one square from an aunt's Christmas dress, a piece from the flannel nightgown a mother wore as she pulled her sick child close to her bosom. The pieces are carefully and artistically pieced together into a collage of

The Flower cloth is intriguingly designed by hand. Hmong women were responsible for sewing the cloth and the beautiful embroideries. Several Hmong women use a rare method of reverse appliqué, "designs made by sewing on a patch to the underside of a fabric and then cutting away and turning under the edge of the top fabric" (Fadiman ). The design is extremely difficult and takes years to acquire this skill. Hmong dresses are elaborated with trimmings, coins, and a variety of colorful yarns. The dresses were highly decorative and added bulk to the man or woman wearing the dress. However, the Rooster hat is a modernized tradition when the Hmong people came to the United States. The base of the hat was normally purchased and decorated with the coins and trimmings.

Shades of orange, purple, green, deep red, magenta and dark blue make beautiful festive colors. If you are going for a monochromatic theme, go for colors like champagne, iris, sapphire, tango pink and laurel green. Diwali festivities are spread over multiple days in some regions, during which celebrants explode fireworks, share sweets, and send greetings to friends and family. Women may have their hands decorated with henna designs. Homes are decorated with small lamps and colorful paper lanterns called diyas and kandils, important parts of Diwali decorations. In some parts of India, Hindus also create rangoli, intricate floor paintings made of colored tikka powder or sand. Rangoli designs are made up of an unbroken line, the idea being that there should be no gaps through which evil spirits can enter. Motifs are usually natural – animals, flowers, etc.— though they can also include geometric patterns.