Throughout the United States there are many rug and textile collections that remain unknown to people who are interested in weavings. Many of these are small, regional institutions or specialized collections. Some, however, are major art institutions for whom rugs and textiles are one of many types of art represented and exhibited. One of these, which deserves greater recognition, is the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Of 58 United States collections mentioned in Textile Collections of the World, Volume 1, United States and Canada, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) textile holdings rank as one of the top 10 non-specialized art institutions. In the Midwest only the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History have larger collections.
| With the completion of the new building, the textile department has modern, state-of-the-art facilities and ample storage space and conservation areas for the collection. |
The bulk of the pieces were acquired by Albert and Eliza Niblack, who were children of William and Eliza Niblack, a socially and politically prominant Indiana family in the late 19th century. William was a state legislator, U.S. Congressman, and Indiana Supreme Court justice. His son Albert (1859-1929) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served with the U.S. Navy throughout the world. He had a strong interest in cultural anthropology and published a book on the northwest coast Indians, Coast Indians of Southern Alaska and Northern British Columbia (1887). In his various postings to the Pacific, Alaska, Gibraltar, and Latin American, he acquired weavings which he sent home to his sisters, Eliza and Sarah, in Indiana. He retired as a vice admiral in 1923.
Of his sisters, it was Eliza (1864-1930) who also showed an interest in art and textiles. She was involved with the John Herron Art Institute, the predecessor of the present museum, and travelled throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, where she acquired her collection. She became an authority and lectured at the museum on Iranian shawls and Chinese art. She was offered the position of curator of textiles at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1916, but it was not funded because of the war.
During her lifetime she arranged for exhibitions of oriental art and loan exhibitions from her textile collection in 1924 and 1928 at the Herron Art Institute. Beginning in 1916, she donated to the museum collections of Japanese, Middle Eastern, and European textiles. Her sister Sarah (1868-1933) inherited her collection, but at Sarah's death, over 2,000 items were donated in 1933 by her heirs. This gift formed the core of the present collection and is known as the Eliza M. and Sarah L. Niblack Collection. The heirs also established the Niblack Bequest for the purchase of future items.
Other individuals have made donations of specific types of weavings and textiles. In 1925 the Delavan Smith Bequest created the core of a carpet collection. Others such as laces, quilts, and tapestries were added. In more recent years a costume and fashion collection, primarily of Indiana-born designers such as Norell, Blass, and Halston, have been donated. Today the collection comprises over 6,000 items with strengths in textiles from Europe, Africa (North and Subsaharan), and Asia (East, Southeast and South). American textiles and costumes (North, Central and South, including pre-Columbian) are also represented.
Many oriental rug enthusiasts will no doubt recall that the "second" Ballard Collection was first exhibited at the Herron Art Institute in 1924. It was recorded in Catalogue of Oriental Rugs, by J. Arthur MacLean and Dorothy Blair. After giving his first rug collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1922, Ballard could not restrain his rug collecting habit and rapidly acquired many more. Just as the first collection was extensively exhibited, he wished to continue informing the public about oriental rugs through exhibitions. Because it was published in a greater number (2,500) than others, this catalog is the best known of the Ballard collection which ultimately was given to the St. Louis Art Museum. The fact that this exhibition occurred at the Herron was likely influenced by the involvement and interest of patrons such as Albert and Eliza Niblack.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is the successor to the John Herron Art Institute. It comprises several buildings including the Hulman Pavilion, Krannert Pavilion, Clowes Pavilion, and Lilly Pavilion, the former home of J.K. Lilly, Jr., of the Lilly pharamaceutical family. The principal collections are housed in the Hulman, Krannert, and Clowes Pavilions that are contained in a new building completed in October 1970 and designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. The IMA sits in 152 acres of parkland in the northwestern part of Indianapolis, donated by the children of Josiah K. Lilly, Jr.
There are galleries devoted to collections from Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. The Paul Textile Arts Gallery is devoted to the exhibition of costumes and textiles, which are changed two times a year. In addition, textiles are included in the Asian and African galleries and are also rotated regularly. Thus weavings and textiles are featured prominently throughout the museum. With the completion of the new building, the textile department has modern, state-of-the-art facilities and ample storage space and conservation areas for the collection.
The Textiles and Ethnographic Department was created in 1973 to maintain and exhibit both collections. The first curator was Peggy Gilfoy (1936-1988). Ms. Gilfoy was an energetic and enthusiatic curator and, with the museum's support, she launched an active exhibition program which explored various themes or types of weavings, many of which at the time were ground-breaking.
She also undertook the preparation and publication of a catalog on the collection. Fabrics in Celebration from the Collection was published by the museum in 1983. As the title suggests the published pieces from the collection are some of the best and most interesting pieces. It is not a comprehensive publication of all items, but it is one of the most thorough publications of a museum collection in the data presented on each item and the quality of the color reproduction. Geographic areas represented are Indonesia, India, China, Japan, Eastern Islam, Western Islam, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The section on Eastern Islam includes Persian embroideries and costumes, pile rugs and kilims, Turkish velvets, Greek Island embroideries, Central Asian ikats and embroideries, and two Turkoman chirpys. Western Islam includes Moorish textiles, Tunisian and Moroccan costumes, Moroccan wedding belts, Moroccan embroideries, and Moroccan pile and flatwoven rugs of many types. The Moroccan collection is especially strong for an American museum because Albert Niblack served as commander of U.S. forces at Gibraltar. Eliza probably visited him while he was posted there as well. The catalogue dustjacket features a Moroccan velvet and metallic thread embroidery haiti or wall hanging.
 | Saryk(?) Turkoman tent band, first half 19th century |
Ms. Niloo Imami-Paydar is the current curator of textiles costumes and continues the active program inititated by Gilfoy. Exhibitions in the past few years have included "African Improvisation: Textiles from the Collection," "A World of Textiles: Recent Acquisitions," "Resist It: Ikat Textiles from the Collection," and "Japanese Costumes from the Collection." With several funds to support acquisitions, major items are still being added to the collection. Among the most recent acquisition is an exquisite and rare 14th century Chinese embroidered votive panel which depicts Manjusri, the Buddhist personification of wisdom, intelligence and knowledge.
In contrast to most major museum textile departments, this one has ample storage and conservation facilities to accommodate a growing collection. They are actively interested in collections which will expand and complement their current collections and welcome inquiries from collectors.
 | Melas donkeybag face, c. 1870, Turkey |
With the Boucher Collection, the IMA could become a center in the Midwest for rug collectors and exhibitions. The Markarian Collection will be on exhibition during 1996 followed by the Boucher Collection in 1997. There is a need for a museum with an interest in non-classical rugs and textiles in the Midwest. The IMA appears to have an interest in this field and certainly has the facilities to accommodate more additions to the collection. It would be a nice complement to The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C. and De Young Museum in San Francisco, which houses the McCoy and Caroline Jones collections.
The address and hours of the museum are:
Indianapolis Museum of Art
1200 West 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Phone: 317-923-1331
Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10 to 5
Thurs. 10-8:30
Sun. 12 - 5
