| Moroccan wall hanging | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | mid-1800s |
| Type | textile |
| Dimensions | 170 cm× 420 cm(66 in× 167 in) |
| Location | Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis |
This large, mid-19th century Moroccan wall hanging, or haiti, is a highlight of the textile collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Made in the cultural center of Fez, it is crafted of the finest materials: silk velvet embroidered with gold metallic thread. [1]
The seven panels of this wall hanging, in alternating crimson and emerald velvet, were sewn not by women, as was typical of Moroccan embroidery, but by professional male needleworkers. That is because this haiti represents the most prestigious and complicated form of textile. The men were under close supervision by the leatherworkers' guild, since the work was so complex it required custom-made leather templates. They stitched around the templates with a special technique known as underside couching that kept the precious gold thread from being wasted on the unseen underside. The interlaced mihrab motif, echoing a mosque's arch-shaped niche, makes this wall hanging a magnificent backdrop for special occasions. [1]
Artisans in Fez had been creating sumptuous wall hangings like this since the 16th century. Magnificent embroideries of this particular type, with their large size and architectural elements, were reserved for very grand occasions such as the week-long weddings of the very wealthy. They provided a suitable backdrop for the bride in her lavish finery. [2]
In 2003, the IMA loaned this artwork to the National Museum of African Art as part of an exhibit entitled "The Fabric of Moroccan Art," which was sponsored by Mohammed VI, king of Morocco. Of the dozens of textiles displayed, this one was lauded as "One of the most important pieces in the exhibition--and in the IMA's entire textile collection." [3]
This haiti was donated to the IMA by Eliza M. and Sarah L. Niblack in 1932. It became an official part of the museum's collection in 1983 per Sarah's bequest, and was given the accession number 1983.66. [4] The Niblack family had acquired it when Admiral Albert Parker Niblack, Eliza's brother, was stationed in Gibraltar in 1917. His discerning eye led to a collection of 2,500 Moroccan, European, and Indonesian textiles, all of which found their way into the IMA's collection. The family's generosity means the museum holds one of the most important collections of Moroccan textiles in the United States, since most institutions focus on Turkish and Persian textiles. [5]
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on caps, hats, coats, blankets, dress shirts, denim, dresses, stockings, and golf shirts. Embroidery is available with a wide variety of thread or yarn color.
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area. It is a plain weft-faced weave having weft threads of different colors worked over portions of the warp to form the design.
Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft – examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period. Handmade chain stitch embroidery does not require that the needle pass through more than one layer of fabric. For this reason the stitch is an effective surface embellishment near seams on finished fabric. Because chain stitches can form flowing, curved lines, they are used in many surface embroidery styles that mimic "drawing" in thread.
Fiber art refers to fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic fiber and other components, such as fabric or yarn. It focuses on the materials and on the manual labour on the part of the artist as part of the works' significance, and prioritizes aesthetic value over utility.
Backstitch or back stitch and its variants stem stitch, outline stitch and split stitch are a class of embroidery and sewing stitches in which individual stitches are made backward to the general direction of sewing. In embroidery, these stitches form lines and are most often used to outline shapes and to add fine detail to an embroidered picture. It is also used to embroider lettering. In hand sewing, it is a utility stitch which strongly and permanently attaches two pieces of fabric. The small stitches done back-and-forth makes the back stitch the strongest stitch among the basic stitches. Hence it can be used to sew strong seams by hand, without a sewing machine.
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English embroidery includes embroidery worked in England or by English people abroad from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day. The oldest surviving English embroideries include items from the early 10th century preserved in Durham Cathedral and the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, if it was worked in England. The professional workshops of Medieval England created rich embroidery in metal thread and silk for ecclesiastical and secular uses. This style was called Opus Anglicanum or "English work", and was famous throughout Europe.
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