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A needle may be one of the humblest items in sew-

ing kits, but the one on exhibit in Needles + Pins:

Textiles and Tools is no ordinary needle. It is a pre-

Columbian gold needle from Tiahuanaco, Bolivia, that

may have been used as pins and needles are today—for

weaving and wearing.

In another time, pins and needles were precious because they

weren't as easy to make as they are in this age of mass produc-

tion. Moreover, they had to serve multiple functions; they not

only secured clothing, they also secured one's place in society.

That they were important is evident in the elaborate cases and

holders that were created to hold them.

Rare and never-before-exhibited textiles made with the help

of the all-important needle—and also with spinning wheels,

looms, drinka stamps, and more—are on display in a second

installment of Needles + Pins: Textiles and Tools, at the Museum of

International Folk Art. This popular exhibition, which opened

May 6, 2007, has been extended through January 4, 2009. For

the additional months, most of the textiles have been changed,

so the repeat visitor will have a new experience. The new exhi-

bition also takes another look at textiles and textile production

around the world. When human creativity and skill combine

with simple but adaptable tools, the results can be dazzling.

At times intricately carved or made of precious metal, the very

tools used to make textiles can also be works of art.

With selections from the museum's vast collection of more

than 20,000 textiles, Needles + Pins is equally about textiles and

the many processes developed to create them: weaving, embroi-

dery, sewing/needle arts, lace making, nonwoven textiles, print-

ing, and painting. The 250 textiles on display have come out of

storage for the first time, making this a unique opportunity to

see some of the museum’s more idiosyncratic holdings.

E l P a l a c i o 65

The creation of

textiles has inspired

human thought and

communication through-

out time. In ancient Greece the

Three Fates spun, wove, and cut

the thread of life, determining mortals’

destinies with spindle, loom, and blade. All

languages are rich in the metaphors and expres-

sions of textiles and their making. We talk of the

“fabric of life” and “the thread” of a story, of someone “cut

from whole cloth” and the act of “weaving together a commu-

nity.” To speak of something or someone “dyed in the wool” is to

acknowledge a true believer in his god, his beer, or his political party.

Many European fairy tales incorporate the act of spinning or weaving

to comment on woman’s role in society.

During the course of the extended exhibition, visitors inspired by

the various textiles and curious about the means of their creation are

able to try their hand at such activities as weaving and embroidery.

By doing so they will see that all textiles have been produced, embel-

lished, and constructed with tools that started out as simple exten-

sions of the human hand. Then came machines.

Even though the scale of making textiles and tools has changed,

the basic process and tools have not. Needles + Pins introduces many

variations of the tools developed over time and perfected by different

cultures. The variety of textiles and garments made with those tools

illustrate what’s possible when imagination and technology meet.

Needles + Pins: Textiles and Tools is at the Museum of International

Folk Art, in Santa Fe, through January 4, 2009. ■

Steve Cantrell is the public relations manager at

Museum Resources Division, Department of Cultural Affairs.

ON EXHIBIT

Tiahuanaco Ruins, Bolivia,

before 1000 ce, gold alloy.

David Thornburg Memorial Collection,

Museum of International Folk Art,

Department of Cultural Affairs.

NEEDLES + PINS =AN EXTENDED EXHIBITIONBy Steve Cantrell