Some of the most dazzling artworks at the Art Institute of Chicago this season were made not with paint, but with needle and thread. Embroidered Traditions from Morocco to Afghanistan, on view through January 25, 2027, is the museum’s first exhibition devoted exclusively to the artistic and cultural traditions of Southwest Asia and North Africa — a region known as SWANA.
More than 70 works from the 18th through 20th centuries fill the textiles galleries, and most have never been exhibited publicly before. In these cultures, embroidery is far more than decoration: garments and household treasures stitched with coins, beads, amulets and jewelry carried identity, status and protection — quite literally wearable wealth. Four rare, elaborately decorated face veils from southwestern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen are being shown publicly in the United States for the first time.
The highlights sparkle across a vast map linked by ancient trade routes: silver and coral “treasure necklaces” from Morocco’s Anti-Atlas Mountains, richly embroidered Ottoman Turkish linen panels, garments from Syria, Yemen, Niger and Egypt, and a wedding blanket embroidered by the Marsh Arab peoples of Iraq. Curated by Janet Marion Purdy, the show is a joyful reminder that a single thread can carry centuries of memory. The Art Institute is at 111 South Michigan Avenue; exhibitions are free with museum admission.
Photo: The Art Institute of Chicago
