Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum
Enduring Traditions
Celebrating the World of Textiles
August 16, 2025 — December 20, 2025
Around the globe, textiles have long played a role in celebrations, performances and religious observances. On the occasion of The Textile Museum’s centennial, Enduring Traditions explores the cultural significance of treasures from the collection. From royal robes to ceremonial carpets, these exceptional textiles reveal the traditions and values of communities across continents.
"Enduring Traditions" magnifies the cultural significance of the works displayed over two floors and explores how they express identity, lifestyles, beliefs, and customs of origin. A distinctive colorful blouse, or huipil, from Guatemala that reveals the Mayan weaver's local heritage, and a cotton wrapper, or “ukara,” of the Ezillo people in Nigeria, which displays ideographic designs that function as coded communication for an all-male secret society, are among artworks that illustrate how people communicate personal and social identity through clothing.
A knotted pile carpet that would have served as a colorful focal point in a grand Persian hall is among some seven carpets on view dating from the 17th to 20th centuries and representing cultures that stretch from across North Africa to China. A large Kurdish carpet executed with great precision may have been a commissioned piece, intended for use in a spacious setting such as a reception room for guests.
Textiles used in ceremonies and celebrations that strengthened community bonds include an Indian saree finely woven with silk and metallic-wrapped yarns that was originally part of a wedding trousseau, as was, most likely, a colorfully embroidered “suzani” cover from Uzbekistan. Two festival jackets from southwest China feature patterns that refer to myths and legends of the Miao people.
Finely made textiles that were created for use in religious observances and rituals range from a miniature poncho from Bolivia, probably meant for a statue in a Catholic church, to a shawl from Laos densely patterned with imagery thought to assist and guard shamans on their perilous journeys between this world and the numinous realm of spirits and ancestors.
A contemporary tapestry, Congressional Constraint, woven by John Eric Riis in 2012, echoes the extravagance of a 14th-century Chimú tunic—with which it is paired—by incorporating precious materials including silk, gold, and coral. Riis makes a contemporary political statement while echoing the ancient garment's form.
Many of the artworks are displayed with images that show how they were originally worn or used. Demet Cabbar of Arlington, Virginia, is among several heritage community members in the Washington, D.C. area who were invited to reflect on some of the works in the show. Her commentary accompanies a brilliant turquoise Turkish headscarf: "Delicately adorned with Oya lace, this handkerchief reminds me of my grandmothers and their sisters, who wove love and devotion into every thread. Once a token of care, a warrior's adornment, and a symbol of resilience, it carries the whispers of an era when patience was love and effort was its truest expression."
Printed gallery guides in the exhibition encourage visitors to contemplate the works in “Enduring Traditions" through the themes of Power, Spirituality, Lifestyles, and Community Voices.
Exhibition curators are Sumru Belger Krody, Lee Talbot and Shelley Burian.
