COMMON THREADS: TEXTILES AT THE FRONTIERS OF FAITH
A Virtual Scholars’ Event for the Exhibition at The Met Cloisters Spain, 1000–1200: Art at the Frontiers of Faith
Organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the International Center of Medieval Art
WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2021, 1:00–2:30 PM ET
REGISTER HERE
Textile Fragment from the Shrine of San Librada, Sigüenza Cathedral, Spain, first half 12th century. (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 58.85.1). [Funds from various donors, 1958]
The sumptuous patterned silk textiles produced in the multifaith medieval Iberian Peninsula, objects of great value as well as desire, played a paramount role in facilitating interactions among elite consumers, no matter their beliefs. Rare and precious surviving medieval Iberian fiber arts evoke for modern audiences a variety of social, political, and economic relationships, yet there is still much to be discovered from the fragments that remain. This virtual scholars’ event, convened in conjunction with the exhibition Spain, 1000–1200: Art at the Frontiers of Faith, takes a close (occasionally microscopic!) look at some of the most important silks surviving from the eleventh through thirteenth centuries.
Introduction: Textiles at the Frontiers of Faith
Julia Perratore, Assistant Curator, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The exhibition’s curator provides an overview of select textiles included in the exhibition.
The Textile Turn in Medieval Iberian Studies
María Judith Feliciano, Independent Scholar, New York
Using the textile fragments currently on view in the Fuentidueña Chapel gallery, we explore multiple interpretative possibilities relating to materiality, contexts, and histories.
Distinctive Technical Features of Iberian Textiles—The Met Collection
Janina Poskrobko, Conservator in Charge, Department of Textile Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This presentation, from the perspective of a textile conservator, introduces a group of magnificent textiles in The Met collection, which were produced in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. Their striking appearance and exceptional craftsmanship are the result of traditional weaving (ranging from simple slit-tapestry to compound weaves including samite, taqueté, and lampas), enriched with innovative techniques introduced by Nasrid weavers.
Register HERE. For questions, please email icma@medievalart.org.