Rondel fragment with water fowl

Looping, knitting, felting, and plaiting have been staple techniques for manipulating fibers since prehistoric times. This ancient textile, one of the first pieces to enter MoMA’s collection, was exhibited in 1931 alongside works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Seurat—painters who recognized analogies between certain styles of ancient and modern art, particularly in their shared departures from realistic depiction.

Credit: Lillie P. Bliss Collection