private collections

introduction

Many Armenian families across the globe carefully save collections of needlelace, crochet, embroidery, and other textiles made by their mothers, grandmothers, and aunties. These are lovingly wrapped in tissue or cloth and tucked away on the top wardrobe shelves or under beds.

In meetings with Armenian women in diverse cultural settings, we hear a common concern. Many of the elders we speak to lament that their descendants show little interest in their family collections. What, they wonder anxiously, will become of these pieces now considered “old-fashioned”—the pejorative we hear most often to describe needlelace. But we are happy to report that these conversations seem to rekindle interest in these humble objects, which sometimes appear to have little purpose or value in contemporary domestic or creative contexts.

Our intention here is twofold. First, the collection portfolios act as a design repository for practitioners. Second, and perhaps more importantly, these collections hold thread memory. [1] We hope that those with family archives will open boxes and unwrap pieces, wake up these sleeping thread storytellers, sit with their descendants, and recount the lives of the makers.

Even if specific names are unknown, threadwork is evidence of our heritage, of women’s lives in the old country and the diaspora. More than decorative embellishment, more than antiquated women’s work, more than musty doilies, they have voices. The knots hold more than thread in place; they hold silent stories waiting to be told.

We will continue to build out this section of the website to showcase as many private archives as possible with the mission to highlight the importance of this artistic legacy. If you would like your collection to be considered for inclusion, please fill out the form below.

For information on institutional archives, see our Public Collections page.

Part of our mission at the Armenian Needlelace Initiative is to highlight private collections of Armenian needlelace. From time to time we will put out a call for submissions. Sign up for our mailing list to be notified when a call goes out.

private collections portfolio