Sheet with overall geometric pattern 1800 - 1900

This sheet with an overall geometric pattern was anonymously made at an unknown date. The proliferation of geometric patterns across cultures reveals a human impulse to create order, and understand our place in the cosmos. But how are we to understand the particular cultural context of this anonymous pattern? This could be preparation for a larger work; a study of the artist’s cultural traditions; or a casual experiment. Scholars might look to the textile industries of various cultures for clues, since complex patterns were often developed for use in fabrics. The size of the sheet may be a clue too, if we consider its potential relationship to the sizes of looms available in different places and times. More generally, we might consider whether this image represents a conservative impulse to repeat existing cultural patterns, or a more progressive exploration of new artistic territory. The work of the historian lies in the patient exploration of contexts.