) Has emailed into me a report on the exhibit in Santa Fe mentioned by Susan Stem above. (She also has a very nice comment about the forum which I hope you will forgive me for including in this post
).
The exhibit, "Writing with Thread" was terrific. Most of the clothing was displayed on three dimensional mannikins which makes an enormous difference for the viewer And the way the mannikins were set up in the space of the exhibition hall was very creative. Instead of being lined up in cabinets, the display filled the entire gallery, which is large and the viewer could walk around each group to see both front and back. I do think that it is one of the best displayed exhibitions that I have seen. As for the clothes, themselves, most were very fine. I couldn't have asked for more. And there was a wide variety of ethnic groups represented; many Miao, Buyi, Zhuang, Yi, Tujia, Maonan, Li, Yao. The exhibition was very comprehensive. I thought the
catalog was definitely worth the $50 which it cost. I believe all of the objects on display are in the catalog and many of the attributions are informative. There is even a Dongjia baby carrier correctly identified, as we learned from Andrew Dudley (see Andrew's post
http://www.tribaltextiles.info/communit ... php?t=1067 of Baby Carrier 2 on The Forum on October 18, 2007 and compare it with the DongJia carrier on p. 217 of the "Writing with Thread" catalog. The two carriers are almost identical. The "Thread" carrier is dated as late 19th century from Majiang County, Guizhou).
I have learned so much from The Forum which I have been able to apply in evaluating the wonderful "Writing with Thread" exhibition in Santa Fe.
All the best to you,
Ann
I visited Pam Nadjowski at her booth at the
Travelers Market in a large shopping mall just outside of Santa Fe. I was in a rush for I was with my husband and granddaughter who are not consumed by textiles the way I am. But I bought a very lovely old Hani jacket and matching puttees from Pam. At another booth I saw a really nice pair of Li earrings which I bought. The dealer said they were new, but they look old to me. I wonder if it really matters if the workmanship is good and the piece is striking. I am impressed with the quality of the new pieces coming out, if these earrings are representative. I will attach photos here of both purchases and
urge members of The Forum to try to get to Santa Fe to see the show "Writing with Thread" and visit Pam Nadjowski and the Travellers Market. The Market reminds me of a high ceilinged Turkish bazaar. Santa Fe is a beautiful part of the U.S. and worth a detour. It is not easy to get to but textile lovers will really appreciate the museums and shops.
I hope that you will also forgive the 'tribal textile shopping' related final paragraph and plug for forum member Pam Nadjowski but as she is supportive and generous with her pieces and knowledge I don't feel at all guilty!!!