Child's Cap c. 1920 - 1940

This Child's Cap, an anonymous work made by Chitral, is at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I can only imagine all the stitches, each one itsy bitsy, tiny acts of care and love, as this object came into being. It's tempting to think about the maker of this cap—to imagine this person, sitting and sewing, and to feel their presence somehow in this thing. I wonder about the choices they made along the way, the colors, and the patterns, all those little mirrors, and how each one of them makes a difference. How did they learn to make such a thing? Was it passed down from mother to daughter, or was it something they dreamed up all on their own? All those stitches, all that texture… I feel like the artist who made this is in dialogue with all the other makers and artists who came before them, and that they are also setting the stage for all the ones who will come after them. It's a conversation that never ends, a sharing of ideas, a passing down of traditions. It’s not just about craft, it’s a language all its own.