Global Warming: Quilts, Coverlets and Blankets

This exhibition highlights textile works from around world that go beyond the basics of providing protection, warmth, security, and comfort. Made from wool, silk, and cotton, they were worn as emblems of status, displayed as ceremonial banners, presented as tribute cloth or used in trade. Whether the artists are identified or remain anonymous, their legacy unfolds with each piece, an intricately handmade record of history. 

From wool wrappings such as a Bhutanese charkep (rain blanket) and a woman’s houli (drape gown) from Tunisia to elegantly embroidered Uzbeki suzani (meaning ‘needlework’) and Japanese kimono-shaped yogi (bed cover) of Japan that was often given to a groom’s family to celebrate a marriage, Global Warming offers a glimpse into shared geometries, auspicious motifs, and fertility symbols. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website