Five Faiths: Images of Deity in Textiles

Rejoice, by Christine Adams,

shown at "Roots of Racism: Ignorance and Fear" Art in Embassies Quilt Exhibit
in Islamabad, Pakistan, 2003 "Rejoice is one of several pieces from the "Celebration" series made in response to a compelling need to celebrate all life, all people. This quilt features raised hands in many skin tones. Ecumenism, diversity, the world’s potpourri of dissimilarities and contrasts, are all a part of my message for harmony.” Christine Adams

This is the first of several posts I am going to do on the five major world religions that have influenced, if not dictated, cultural behavior in the world over the past several centuries: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Click on the Five Faiths label at the bottom of the article to see all the posts in this series on one page.

All five have interesting textile and costume traditions, impacting industry both within and outside of their belief systems. Those of us who are drawn to ethnic and tribal textiles must have a basic understanding of the religious beliefs of other cultures in order to appreciate a piece beyond technique and materials used. Obviously, there are many, many other religions beyond the "Big Five". These, however, have been the five which have impacted the world the most in terms of the populations they represent and political power. All five have been victims and victimizers throughout history as well as instruments of peace and liberation, whether on a personal or institutional level. I am no theologian nor an expert on these textiles, although I have had great interest in both religion and fiber traditions for many years.

For many years I had a gallery in Chicago that had textiles and artifacts representing the Big Five and I often thought about how ironic it was that these items could be displayed together in the same room, while their makers might not only refuse to be in the same space but might even want to kill each other. So, this is a small effort towards understanding and reconciliation. I believe firmly that racism and intolerance thrive in environments of isolation. The more one engages with the other, the more we find how much common ground we have, even as we celebrate our differences.

My springing board for these posts is a wonderful book by Huston Smith, World Religions. Huston Smith is a renowned theologian who has studied and taught about world religions for several decades. A Tibetan friend was sponsored by him and talked about his gentle spirit and kindness. The book reflects this statement as Huston Smith examines these and other religions through art with curiosity and joy . He states in the introduction:

"It is a book that seeks to embrace the world. That hope can only be approximated, of course. Arms are short and feet must be planted somewhere, so this book has a home. But it is a home whose doors swing in and out- in study and imaginings when not in overt travel. If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see, this book is the child of such homesickness. ... These thoughts about world understanding lead directly to the world's religions, for the surest way to the heart of a people is through their faith if it has not fossilized. ... Religion alive confronts the individual with the most momentous option life can present. It calls the soul to the highest adventure it can undertake, a projected journey across the jungles, peaks, and deserts of the human spirit. The call is to confront reality, to master the self." (pages 13 and 14) Smith's book is filled with art inspired by the religious traditions he examines. My focus will be on textiles and garments, although I will use him to remind me and guide me through the vast terrain of historical traditions I could tap into. I can only hope to introduce a few seeds here and there that might lead you, the reader, into further discoveries.

All that said, let's look at these big five and see if we can pinpoint a departure point starting with the concept of a deity or god.

Hinduism is the oldest of the five and the most foreign to me. Hinduism knows no boundaries and through the centuries has incorporated new myths and traditions into its own all-inclusive pantheon of rich stories. Huston Smith organizes this wealth into a heading of yoga, "a method of training designed to lead to integration or union. It includes physical exercises, but its ultimate goal is union with God." (page 26) And, who is God? God is abstract, life's creative power. God is understood through stories and myth, with thousands of characters that lead to a glimpse, but not a totality of this creative power. God is reached through knowledge, love, work and psychophysical exercises.

Although God is abstract, the creative power can be understood through the Hindu deities. Perhaps the closest deity Westerners could relate to in terms of the "Lord over all" would be Vishnu.

Vishnu, watercolor painting on cotton, Art of Legend India, $24

Here is the Wikipedia entry on Vishnu:

"Vishnu (IAST viṣṇu, Devanagari विष्णु), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana, is supreme being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions of Hinduism. The Vishnu Sahasranama^[1] describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of and beyond the past, present and future, the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. In the Puranas, Vishnu is described as being the color of clouds (dark-blue), four-armed, holding a lotus, mace, conch and chakra (wheel). Vishnu is also described in the Bhagavad Gita as having a 'Universal Form' (Vishvarupa) which is beyond the ordinary limits of human sense perception ^[2].

It is also within the Puranas that the information regarding Vishnu's avatars is given. Nine of these avatars, or 'incarnations' are described as having occurred in the past, with one still to happen at the end of Kali Yuga. The Bhagavad Gita mentions their purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma^[3] and vanquish negative forces. In virtually all the Sanatana Dharma traditions, Vishnu is worshipped, either directly or through avatars such as Rama, Krishna, Varaha and Narasimha. It should be however noted that although its is usual to speak of Vishnu as the source of the avataras, this is only one of the names of god in Vaishnavism who is also known as Narayana, Vasudeva and Krishna and behind each of those names is a divine figure with attributed supremacy in Vaishnavism.^[4]"

Buddhism grew out of the teachings of one man in what is now Nepal, born around 563 B.C. Siddhartha, known to us now as The Buddha, was brought up in nobility in a Hindu world. He rejected his riches and set forward on a path to seek truth. Huston Smith tells the story:
"Buddhism begins with a man. In his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was. "Are you a god? An angel? A saint?" they asked. "No." he replied. "Then what are you?" His answer was, "I am awake." (page 60) The chapter goes on to discuss Buddhist ideas of god, reincarnation and life after death. These concepts are difficult to understand as they introduce an organic measure of life and consciousness. No, there is no life after death, yet strands of consciousness survive and become a part of others. No, there is no god, yet the Buddha became regarded as a divine incarnation. Buddhism split into different schools of thought, and in some there is a heaven and hell. Tibetan Buddhists have a bunch of horrible hells to avoid, including Hungry Hell, which I never forgot. (Those in hungry hell have mouths and necks to small to allow food to enter. They have large, empty stomachs...)

So, although Buddhism may not overtly embrace the idea of a god, the Buddha himself has become the central deity in popular Buddhism. Tibetan thangka paintings are highly prized by collectors of Asian art. Tibet Collectibles has some good history on thangkas it offers for sale such as this one:

Buddha, circa 1890, $795

They state on their website:

"Tibetan Buddhist art, brightly colored and elaborately detailed, performs more than one function in Tibetan religious life. Devotional images are often used as the center point of rituals or ceremonies. Art is also used as a teaching tool by telling the story or the teachings of the Buddha or other deities (gods). Tibetan art, however, is mainly used as a tool for meditation. The meditator visualizes themselves as the image of the Buddha or deity in order to embody the qualities of the chosen subject.

Paintings of the Buddha or of deities, otherwise know as “thankas” are one of the most popular forms of Tibetan Buddhist art. The word thanka comes from the Tibetan words “than” and “ka”. “Than” means flat and “ka” is the word for painting. Monks traveling from monastery to monastery would take these flat paintings and roll them up for easy transport. Personal thankas, wallet size paintings, were also created for the traveling monk or religious devotee. Thanka art is explicitly religious and its two main functions are to teach disciples and to provide beauty which is believed to be a manifestation of the divine."

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share the same God, having evolved out of one tradition. Their understandings of God, are common in that God is the creator, the parent figure, the almighty, and that there is only one God. They each have their own particular representations, however, for God. Neither Judaism nor Islam depict God through images. Christianity, differs from the two in its concept of a Trinity, three faces to one god.

Judaism, the oldest of the three, explains Huston Smith, "was lifted from obscurity to greatness through their passion for meaning." (page 180) He continues, "From the beginning to end, the Jewish quest for meaning was rooted in their understanding of the Supreme Being. Whatever a people's philosophy, it must take account of the Other. ... Where the Hebrews differed from their neighbors was in focusing the personal traits of the Other in a single, nature-transcending will. For other Mediterranean peoples, each major power of nature was a distinct deity; whereas in the Bible, nature in its entirety was created by, and under the sovereignty of the Lord of all being." Yahweh is the Hebrew name for God. Jewish art is replete with symbolic meaning. Here is a quilt with the Star of David:

Quilt by Susan Schrott

Christianity came next in historical terms. With it, Jesus of Nazareth revolutionized the concept of God, introducing three characteristics to one Supreme Being. There is God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father, or more inclusively, God the Creator, is the historical, absolute conscious presence who is all-powerful, all knowing, and all encompassing. Then, this God becomes incarnate and appears on earth as Jesus, the Christ, who was born and raised a Jew. Followers of Christ became known as Christians. After his death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit, arrived on Earth as the Spiritual manifestation of God. All three are the same, each with their own identity, like a towel folded into three parts.

Christianity has splintered into many denominations, some of which adhere to the Jewish and Islamic traditions of no art depicting God. There are three main divisions within Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Protestantism is subdivided into hundreds of splinter groups that are often in opposition to each other. All three, however, adhere to the belief that God is triune, three in one. The Roman Catholic Church, especially, has an immense historical tradition of religious art, and in the last Century, of folk art with religious themes. The Trinity is often depicted as a triangle, but each also has an image often associated with its persona. God the Creator often is shown as an old white man with a beard, Jesus on the cross, and the Holy Spirit as a dove. This painting shows all three divine manifestations of God together:

Huston Smith begins speaking about Islam with the following paragraph:
"With a few striking exceptions that will be noted, the basic theological concepts of Islam are virtually identical with those of Judaism and Christianity, its forerunners. We shall confine our attention in this section to four that are the most important: God, Creation, the Human Self, and the Day of Judgment. ... As in other historical religions, everything in Islam centers on its religious Ultimate, God. God is immaterial and therefore invisible." (page 157) God is invoked through 99 names. Art cannot depict images of people or animals for fear of idolatry, so words, geometric form and floral arrangements lead the devout towards God.

Perhaps the most symbolic textile in Islamic art relevant to this article would be the Prayer Rug. Having to pray five times a day can be an inconvenience in terms of finding a clean space. So, many devout Muslims will carry their personal prayer rugs with them. Small and portable, they can roll them out when needed and keep themselves clean. A prayer rug is normally depicted with a doorway, window, or building that has a definite point. This point should be directed towards Mecca. It is useful to have direction on the rug so that the feet never touch the area where the hands and head use the rug. This beautiful Turkish prayer rug was featured in an article on the blog, Coffee and Carpets:

All five religions have exquisite textile and fiber traditions. We will look at more of them in future articles. But, to me, I think the most interesting common thread through all of these paths is that they teach the abandonment of self as a way to enlightenment or to find communion with God. They all stress the importance of loving the neighbor and working towards peace. Wouldn't it be something if all the adherents to these religions really followed these precepts? I think the world would be a different place!

Five Faiths: Images of Deity in Textiles

Gabbeh: The Movie and The Rug

Several years ago, I saw a movie, Gabbeh, which I have never forgotten. Gabbeh is the name of a beautiful young woman, a nomad in Iran. It is also a style of carpet made by her people.

The movie tells her story with very little narrative- it's all visual poetry. Stark landscapes, slow moving beauty of a harsh lifestyle which is quickly disappearing. Gabbeh's family are sheep herders and carpet makers. The movie is loaded with wonderful images of the carpet-making process and gorgeous costumes worn by the women. Bright silks and shisha mirrors blow in the winds, contrasting with the barren landscapes.

Wikipedia gives the following blurb on the movie:

"Gabbeh (1996) is a film by Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

The film gets its name from a type of Persian rug and starts by showing an elderly couple, carrying their Gabbeh, walking toward the river hoping to wash their rug. When the rug is spread on the ground, a girl, referred to as Gabbeh, magically comes out of it. The movie follows her story and audience learn about her family, her uncle who is hoping to find a bride, and most importantly her longing for a young man she hopes to marry."

Gabbeh rugs are inspired by the landscape. Minimalist designs replicate the colors of the land in natural wool colors or veggie dyes. The rugs tell stories, recording events important to the maker. Variegated colors imitate rock formations often accented by small animals or people in the border, a corner, almost hidden from the larger design. Newer gabbeh rugs are also very soft and silky. They use the undercoat of winter wool which is not as strong as the outer coat, but excellent for bedrooms and lower traffic areas.

Pictorial carpets showing animals or people are unusual in Islamic art as the Koran advises against it in order to prevent idolatry. Some nomadic groups who may have embraced Islam might still retain some traditions, like incorporating animals or people into the gabbeh rugs, speaking back to an even older history.

Film director Mohsen Makhmalbaf speaks about the film and its connection to the rugs: "I think Gabbehs are like good Iranian films. What attracts foreign audiences to Iranian films is their simplicity and their re-creation of nature. These are the same two qualities that have made Gabbehs popular in foreign markets as well. In western countries, people are overwhelmed by difficult, complicated, and rough situations. When they go to the movies they don’t want to see the same complexity and violence they are surrounded by. That is why they are fascinated by simple Iranian films that remind them of nature. Iranian Gabbehs also have a sort of naturalistic poetry about them that gives you a sense of tranquility. You feel that you have spread nature on the floor of your living room.

“Gabbehs have soothing designs somewhat similar to the simple paintings of children. Unfortunately, out of every ten thousand Iranians, only one might have a Gabbeh at this house, or out of every one thousand Iranians, only one might have heard of it. What did we used to sit on forty years ago? A carpet or a kelim. And what is a carpet, except some wool and color and the labor of the weaver? And what is wool, except the labor of a herder? And what is color, except the labor of girls picking flowers in the fields? And don’t we make all of these out of our own labor our own materials here? Gabbeh is one of the most original types of nomadic carpets."

This clip gives a little glimpse into the feel of the movie:



Movies like Gabbeh are important in helping us take a look into a way of life which may be so completely foreign to the rest of us. It does speak to some traditions which we may find hard to understand, but it also opens a window into profound beauty that may help us find some common ground. We see so many images of violence coming from the region, much like the rest of the world is fed with our own heritage of blood and gore, that it is refreshing to just be with the desert, the colors, and the life of the gabbeh.



All of the carpets in this article are from the Nazmiyal Collection, a website dedicated to antique and contemporary carpets from the region. Owner Jason Nazmiyal provides excellent historical information on many carpets and has a page with articles on different subjects. If you are in the market for a rug, consider exploring the Nazmiyal Collection. They seem to have an excellent selection, superb quality and approachability.

And, if you are looking for a good movie, Gabbeh is a must see! There were VHS copies available on Amazon for under $5 when I wrote this article, so if your local library or video stores do not carry it, you should be able to find a copy pretty easily. Gabbeh, a story and a rug of poetry and beauty.

Gabbeh: The Movie and The Rug

Donna Hussain on Quilt Color Choices

When I decided to honor my husband’s Muslim heritage by making quilts with an Islamic theme for our home, I started collecting patterns from library books on Islamic art that could be used in quilt making. I now have several scrapbooks filled with patterns that might be used as border designs or sewn as patchwork or appliqué motifs. The inspiration for my quilt Islamic Mosaic was a sketch I found in an architectural source book of a tiled bath in the ruins of an eighth century palace in Jordan.

Islamic Mosaic by Donna Hussain

I immediately recognized that the main pattern of the bath was similar to the log cabin quilt block, but with a diamond instead of a square at the center of the block. The sewing proved relatively easy. However, the interlacing pattern in the bath decking, which I wanted for the border of my quilt, proved to be a challenge even when I simplified the design. After failed experiments with bias tubes, I decided to make cardboard templates of the motifs and appliqué them to the border fabric by hand.

When making Islamic Mosaic I was a relatively new quilter still struggling with color choices. Which colors were right? Which colors wrong? The bloom of a quilt store was intimidating. Fortunately, a quilt store near my house shelved bolts of fabric by manufacturer. Since each line of fabric was color-coordinated I had no difficulty picking out matching fabrics and accent colors for my quilt. Most fabric stores today organize their stock by color. This makes it much harder for a novice quilter to select a color palette for their first quilts.

Quilters gain confidence in their color choices through experience. I learned which colors I favor at quilt guild meetings during the Sew and Show portion of the program by jotting down the color combinations of the quilts that I liked. I keep a scrapbook of quilt pictures and magazine cutouts showing towels, sheets, rugs, and drapes with colors that please me. The pages are dog-eared from reference use. At quilt shows I make a first pass by walking quickly down the aisles stopping only when a quilt catches my eye. Usually it is color that draws my attention. When I see a striking multicolor fabric I buy a sample for my stash to remind me of color combinations that work well together. I lose interest if I start a project with colors I dislike. No pastels or thirties fabrics for me. I favor strong color, jewel tones.

My choice of the background fabric for the border of Islamic Mosaic was fortuitous. I didn’t anticipate that the color-bar fabric would add such visual interest to the quilt. Note how the changes in the background fabric from dark to light affect the interlacing design, pulling some elements forward while others recede. The effectiveness of a quilt can be a complete surprise to the quiltmaker.

California quilter, Donna Hussain has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus.

Donna Hussain on Quilt Color Choices

Guest Artist: Dijanne Cevaal

I can't remember how I exactly I found Dijanne Cevaal- I think her blog, Musings of a Textile Itinerant, was linked to another one I looked at. Of course, I immediately became a fan and invited her to write for Fiber Focus. Visiting her blog is a must! She has packed it with all that I love: textures, color, process, approachability. Dijanne is from Australia, but presents herself as a world citizen. She is a master of technique and has won awards, curated shows, teaches classes and written a book. This article is but a small sampling of her varied palette and subject matter, all of which are united by rich colors and texture. Welcome, Dijanne!

I have been a full time textile artist since 1992 but have always had a love of textiles including embroidery and applique. I also adore ethnic textiles- the unexpected combinations of colour, the presence of the maker and a certain richness for ornamentation and decoration which speaks to me. I do usually work in the quilt form, but would have to say that a whole range of textiles and techniques appeal.

All of my work commences as white cloth , and from there I dye the fabric, print, and stitch. One quilt which shows how this process works is View from My Studio which won the Husqvarna Viking prize in the Councours at Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork last year. I dyed the whole cloth with the intent of creating a forest scene- the process is low immersion dyeing and as such has a certain element of serendipity- but I like that as it then gives me clues how to work further. I then stitch ( usually in the quilting process) to accentuate elements, bring in new elements and use coloured thread to bring the whole thing alive- the quilting becomes a kind of embroidery creating not only texture but line and form.


Currently I am working on work for a solo exhibition entitled Caravanserai-inspired by the colours and silks and legends of the Middle East and Syria. I have been fortunate to travel quite widely in the Middle East, which of course, is a textile lovers paradise which is fast disappearing. I have also taken travelling exhibitions to the Middle East and it has been fascinating watching the response to the "contemporary" work which I have taken there- firstly it appeals to men and women alike. They loved the colours, were astounded how much you could do with simple techniques. Immediately, you could see people thinking about their own textiles and how they might incorporate the faster way of working into their own textile experience. For my part, I was inspired by the textiles and the ambience of the whole place - especially Syria where the past is such a presence, with magnificent ruins, where the every day blends with things from so long ago.


That experience for someone who lives in a what is described as a "young country" is truly inspiring. I know we have an ancient people here in Australia with a wonderful visual vocabulary, too. This is theirs and I, as an outsider would never dare to assimilate, though I may be inspired by the colours and juxtapositions and even the stories that so much of their work entails. I find Middle Eastern textiles awe inspiring. To think that textiles have been carried through this rich history since the beginning of time gives me a rich thread with which to work. There are the exploits of Gilgamesh, believed to be the oldest written story. Then, the Assyrian stone-reliefs of battles and kings riding horses with horse blankets in which the stone carver has gone to remarkable lengths to show the quilted texture of the cloth. Contemporary patterns and colours of salt bags and present day horse blankets combine with the habits of hospitality and the profusion of colour and scent and spice of the souq.

Asurbanipal's Horse Blanket

It is my aim to tell the story of the richness of the experience- to pay homage to the hospitality I received and the visual stimulation that danced before my eyes.

Dijanne, at the sewing machine, with her interpreter, Hiba,
answers a question at a workshop on free machine sewing
and appliqué in Egypt in 2006.

Guest Artist: Dijanne Cevaal