Belt c. late 19th century

This belt, of unknown date and origin, is made from woven material, likely silk, along with cotton thread and metal. Notice how the material and the process of its creation—weaving—dictates the appearance of the belt. The structure of the weave lends itself well to geometric decoration, giving the belt a regimented, formal quality. The process of weaving, and embellishment with macrame and metal elements, would have required considerable skill. The anonymous maker would have likely engaged with established traditions and techniques. The metal is suggestive; given the red colour of the belt, it could have been used in a military context, with the metal perhaps originally gilded to give the impression of gold. By attending to these details of material and making, we appreciate the rich, though unrecorded, social context of the belt. It defies easy categorization as either craft or fine art, reminding us of the artificiality of such distinctions.