Articles, reports & dispatches.
Long-form scholarship and short news from the HALI editorial desk — published continuously between the four print quarterlies.
Unpicking the attribution of a Bird Asmalyk
Is this bird asmalyk really Tekke? Rachel Meek examines the surprising attribution it receives in The Textile Museum’s Textile Treasures.
How do we know the age of an antique carpet? In part, size matters
Few antique carpets are dated, and patterns were repeated for generations. Format, though, can tell us a good deal about when, and for whom, a carpet was made. Michael Franses joins the knots from Olympia Auctions via Belgrade to Iran
Michael Franses · 5 min
How did kashmiri shawls transform global fashion?
A special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, explores the luxurious splendour of Kashmiri shawls and their influence on global fashion and trade. Curator Aimée Froom, alongside Anushka Hosain and Chaeri Lee, guides us through the treasures on display.
Aimée Froom · 10 min
Why has the Bayeux Tapestry captured everyone’s attention?
The long-awaited exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum opened on 10 September in London. Interest in this work of art’s arrival in the UK after 1,000 years has extended far beyond the world of textiles—but what exactly is it that has captured people’s attention?
First impressions of 'Embroidery Traditions of Afghanistan' from the Karun Thakar collection
A new exhibition, 'Embroidery Traditions of Afghanistan', draws on the Karun Thakar collection to celebrate the diversity, craftsmanship and beauty of Afghan embroidery. Ben Evans, Jeff Spurr, Janet Marion Purdy and members of the public share their reflections on the display
