Panel c. 18th century

This textile panel, now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, was created by an anonymous maker using a combination of weaving and embroidery. The floral pattern is not woven into the structure of the cloth, but rather applied afterward using delicate stitches. This combination of techniques speaks to an interesting tension. On one hand, weaving can be a highly industrialized process, with the division of labor pushed to its extreme. Yet the refined, naturalistic embroidery here signals a more intimate connection to the material. Someone took considerable time to embellish this cloth with flowers and ribbons. You can see the tension in the textile itself: the woven structure is visible, and feels almost like a grid for the embroidered motifs. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly straightforward designs involve many hands, and many different kinds of labor. By focusing on these issues of making, we can appreciate the full meaning of the work, and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.