Ornament Print Edition Volume 43.1

Welcome to our newest edition of Ornament Magazine! In this issue, Floor Kaspers travels to Java and brings along the reader for a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Indonesian beadmakers, who have made beads for both domestic and international consumption since roughly A.D. 600. These skilled artisans work with rudimentary materials and tools, yet create surprising results.

Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell follows an unlikely trailblazer for women’s fashion: the female athlete. As part of a touring exhibition organized by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, this remarkable collection illustrates how women’s clothing has evolved in the past two hundred years.

Robert K. Liu reminisces on this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show, which made a triumphant return in-person. From intimate friendships with the attending artists to the perils still facing the craft world due to the pandemic, Liu paints a vivid and educational picture of one of America’s top craft events.

Devanshi Saxena introduces the reader to the regional and highly developed textile tradition of Chikankaari, centered on the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, India. Humanizing the many artisans whose work contributes to the finished garment, while exploring the craft’s historical origins, this journey is sure to excite and inspire.