Color is everything for the Old Silk Route textile collection
I have been privileged to have been able to share my appreciation for the richness and diversity of Indian, Pakistani, and Afghani textiles with many of my fellow Americans for almost thirty years. It all began back in the early 1980's with the Ann Magee Collection of tapestries, which were Indian paintings mounted on silk sarees/sars
, all of which took place from my home in New Delhi, where my husband was a diplomat with the American Embassy. For back drops and a splash of color, I always had some vintage silk sarees as well as my tapestries when I showed at the High Point Furniture Market and so I started to bring in more related silk saree/sari textiles, such as pillow covers, bedspreads, and even some wall hangings. Then in 1990 when my daughter married a Pakistani and moved to Lahore, I had the opportunity to teach at the University of Peshawar for a few months where I became not only aware of the plight of the Afghan refugee but charmed by their tribal textiles and artifacts. With my first pay check, I promptly purchased a 1000 pair of Afghan hand knitted woolen socks from Save the Children and I was on my way.
