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Butah

A work made of cotton; warp resist dyed (ikat), satin damask weave.

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  • A work made of cotton; warp resist dyed (ikat), satin damask weave.

Date:

2011

Artist:

Ethel Stein (American, 1917-2018)

About this artwork

In Butah, Ethel Stein paid homage to the ancient Indo-Persian motif of a teardrop shape filled with color and pattern, known in English as a paisley. Designer and entrepreneur Jack Lenor Larsen commissioned this piece for an exhibition in 2012 at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC. Stein took her inspiration for both the paisley motif and the warp-dyeing technique from a Central Asian ikat silk. To achieve her witty celebration of this ubiquitous textile motif, she enlarged a single example to a huge scale and created a two-part banner.

Status

On View, Gallery 59

Department

Textiles

Artist

Ethel Stein

Title

Butah

Place

New York (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

2011

Medium

Cotton; warp resist dyed (ikat), satin damask weave

Dimensions

219.1 × 179.1 cm (86 1/4 × 70 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Barbara E. and Richard J. Franke Fund

Reference Number

2018.380a-b

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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