There’s Treasure Everywhere at The Design Center
Among the Design Center’s vast collection is this South American painted textile from as early as the 12th century. Jefferson’s textile and costume collection features 150,000 pieces with some objects dating back to the 4th century. For curator Jade Papa, some of the most rewarding parts of her job come from discovering hidden treasures in the vast textile and costume collection at Jefferson’s Design Center. And with some 150,000 pieces housed in the mid-20th-century ranch home on the edge of East Falls Campus, these special moments come frequently. The other day, Papa was combing through boxes of South American pieces—part of the University’s effort to categorize and digitalize the collection’s non-Western objects—when she spied a large piece of woven cloth in a natural tone. Papa had a feeling something stood out with this textile covered with painted designs of people and fish. After researching the fabric, she discovered it came from the Chancay culture, circa 1100-1400. Design Center curator Jade Papa sets up an 1880s bustle dress, part of the “Behind the Seams” exhibit at Hayward Hall. “We’re always making new discoveries, so it’s almost like we’re getting new stuff,” Papa says. The museum-quality collection spans the world and stretches back in time. Its... Read more »
