Tassel band 1930 - 1940

This Tassel Band, a piece of anonymous origin, is at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. You know, looking at this, I’m drawn to the way the piece is constructed, it's almost like a drawing in space. The texture is everything here. Think about the maker's hand, patiently weaving the mesh and stringing beads. It's not just about the final image, but the process itself. Notice how the solid band on top meets the open network below, and then the cascading beads? Each element has its own voice, its own weight. Look at the way the beads catch the light. They're like tiny brushstrokes. The piece as a whole reminds me of the work of Sheila Hicks who also elevates craft into high art. There's a conversation happening here, a dialogue between form and function, seen and unseen, solid and void. It's like the piece is saying, "I am what I am, and also everything else."