Sewing Card Album
1880-1920
3 3/4 x 4 3/4 inch cards
11 x 9 inche pages
cardstock, thread
An extremely unusual and large archive of 78 sewing cards dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. These cards are mounted across 21 pages with the original binding reading "Sewing Cards" in gilted lettering on the cover.
The patterns on these sewing cards, all stitched with a consistent sand-gradient thread, bring to mind a wide range of geometric influences. These include designs reminiscent of Hopi beadwork and echoes of Moorish aesthetics, each imbued with a distinct cultural resonance. Several of the cards, with their balanced and structured forms, are strikingly similar to the grid-based paintings of Agnes Martin, though created much earlier than her time. Other cards, arranged with squares in various formations, seem to anticipate the geometric abstractions of Anni and Josef Albers, although these too were likely completed long before either artist gained prominence.
In addition to these abstract references, there are eight cards that diverge into more playful and figurative territory. Among them are whimsical images, such as a cat with exaggerated, bulging eyes and a stack of shapes that creates a tower-like composition. These playful depictions add a sense of lightheartedness and contrast to the otherwise methodical and geometric patterns, enriching the collection with a blend of both abstract and pictorial creativity.
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