Silk Cloth for Sale

The textile arts collection at the de Young contains over 13, 000 textiles and costumes from all over the world. The collection contains loom-woven textiles, and non-woven fabrics from bark cloth, felt, knitting and object embellishments, including beading and embroidery. Some of the highlights include Turkmen carpets, rare 12th 0 15th century Asian and North Indian silks, European tapestries, and contemporary Bay Area fiber art. The de Young has been known for its 20th-century couture exhibits from the post-World War II era. Some of the memorable pieces on display are by Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Madame Grés, Yves Saint Laurent and Coco Chanel.

One of the interesting exhibits on display now until February 12th, 2017, experience The Sumatran Ship Cloth exhibit in Gallery 31 at the de Young. This exhibit represents the three ceremonial textiles from the Lampung region of south Sumatra, a region of Indonesia where ship imagery is a major theme in woven arts.

"For many Indonesians, the sea represents their lifeblood, and ship imagery reflects social structures, rituals, and cosmological beliefs. These textiles from the Museums’ permanent collection, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, are being shown for the first time."