Ornament c. 20th century

This little ornament was made by Short Skirt Miao, but exactly when is lost to time. What isn’t lost, though, is the incredible amount of work that must have gone into making this. The interplay of colours and textures shows an understanding of artmaking as a process. The texture is crucial here: the whole thing is made up of tiny, painstaking stitches. There’s no paint, but the density of the thread creates a relief effect; the surface is both matte and subtly raised. Look closely at the way the blues and reds play against each other. See how certain sections are highlighted with silver? It reminds me of the quilts made by Gee’s Bend quilters – an ongoing conversation about colour, form, and abstraction. This piece isn't just an ornament, it's a testament to the conversations between artists across time and place.