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Introduction

Razzle-Dazzle

The Language of Ornament in Asian Costume and Textiles
June 16 - October 15, 2006

Shells, mirrors, beads, seeds, metal disks, coins, sequins, feathers; these are only some of the items that have been used to make clothing and textiles jingle, sparkle, and jiggle. Throughout time, all over the world, in every society, humans have embellished their clothing in ways that signal status and religion or serve as talismanic, flirtatious, or protective charms. These days, many Westerners have lost touch with the symbolic power of ornament applied to apparel, dismissing such adornment as superficial, artificial, and even disingenuous. The group of objects in this exhibition spanning the Asian world reminds viewers of the pleasure and meaning that such materials may convey.

The English word "ornament" derives from the Latin ornare, meaning "to equip, get ready, or fit out." Some have pushed this definition one step further, suggesting that the term also expresses completion. Although not a structural necessity, ornament makes an object whole. How differently might we look upon certain articles in this gallery if they did not include gold for its inherent wealth and homage to hierarchy, purity, and indestructibility; silver, metal, and sequins for their associations with prosperity and protection; mirrors for their power to ward off malevolence; beads and seeds for their correlations with fortune, resiliency, and fertility; and feathers for their regal connotations?

Lacking such accoutrements, these textiles would take on another function, causing the wearer to behave in another fashion and the beholders to interpret the behavior in other ways. The thread of meaning would dissolve. From a kingfisher-feather-covered Chinese woman's wedding headdress to an Ottoman textile encrusted with sequins and gold thread, this group of costumes and textiles creates an aura of razzle-dazzle that confuses the spirits, intoxicates the beholder, and empowers the possessor.

Selected Objects

Chinese Manchu, China

Wedding Headdress (dianzi), mid-to late 1800s

Turkish, Ottoman Empire

Altar cloth, 1800s

Indian, India

Fabric trim, 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Campaign Coat (Jinbaori), 1800s

Pakistani Lohana, Thano Bula Khan, Sindh

Woman's tunic (guj or chola), late 1800s - early 1900s

Tibetan, Tibet

Banner or temple hanging, 1800s

Indian Naga, Nagaland

Man's shawl, 1800s

Turkish, Ottoman Empire

Woman's jacket, ca. 1910

Burmese Kachin Shan, Myanmar

Man's Bag (n'hpye), late 1800s - early 1900s

Indian, India

Woman's tunic, mid 1800s

Chinese, China

Child's ceremonial collar, late 1800s - early 1900s

Attributed to Mandaya Philippine, Mindanao

Woman's jacket, 1800s

Nuristani Kohistani Pakistani Afghan, Pakistan Afghanistan Kohistan region

Dress (jumlo), mid 1900s

Chinese, China

Woman's overcoat, 1800s

Indian, India

Fan, 1800s

Gujarati Sindhi people, India, Gujarat, Kutch, or Pakistan, Sindh

Woman's blouse front (kanjari or choli), 1800s

Vietnamese Co-Tu, Quang Nam (province) Thua Thien-Hue (province) Vietnam

Man's loincloth, ca. 1960

Ta Oi Vietnamese, A Luoi (district) Thua Thien-Hue (province) Vietnam

Woman's tunic, ca. 1960

Burmese Jinghpaw, Myanmar Burma Kachin (state)

Woman's jacket (soi shakap na palawng chang), 1950-ca. 1995

Indonesian Kaur, West Sumatra

Woman's hip wrapper (tapis), 1800s

Burmese Laytu, Arakan (state) Myanmar

Woman's tunic (khran in), 1950-ca. 1995

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Razzle-Dazzle : The Language of Ornament in Asian Costume and Textiles

June 16 - October 15, 2006
View Checklist PDF

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