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Tapestry

Description
Hand-embroidered tapestry depicting the lower Manhattan skyline with the Twin Towers on the left. Small red beads are sewn into the sky above the buildings. On the right side of the tapestry a group of figures embroidered in black hold signs that read "terrorism," "al Qaeda," and "Taliban." White beads sewn into the sky hover over the black figures.
   
At the top, seven doves encircle the flag of Afghanistan, each with the flag of a nation around its breast. The border of the tapestry includes flags and names of nations of the world. At the bottom is embroidered text: "PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE AND GOVERMENT OF UNITED STATE OF AMERICA IN MEMORY OF SEPTEMBER 11th 2001."
Historical Notes
The tapestry’s central design juxtaposes a gilded depiction of the World Trade Center alongside black-cloaked images of Taliban soldiers. Tiny red beads, representative of bloodshed, dot the immediate vicinity of the towers while white beads, evocative of hope that peace is someday realized, extend upward from the cloaked bodies of the faceless soldiers. The flag of Afghanistan hovers above, suspended in a blue sky by five doves, each brandishing on its breast the flag of a nation that provided humanitarian assistance to the historically war-torn country. The flags include those of the United States of America, the Central African Republic, Great Britain, Japan, and Australia. The border is comprised of flags from many nations to underscore the importance of global unity.
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Curator's Comment
An Afghan economist was inspired to create this hand-embroidered tapestry in 2002 as an endorsement of the dream and need for world peace, with the added hope that it would eventually be presented to the families of the 9/11 tragedy.
  
The tapestry was donated to the Museum in 2013 by the creator’s sister and was received by a 9/11 family member, fulfilling the creator’s intention for it to serve as a vehicle to foster healing and tolerance.
  • Accession Number: C.2014.424.1
  • Dimensions: 38 in X 48 in
  • Dimensions (Metric): 96.52 cm X 121.92 cm
  • Credit Line: A gift of peace for the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, from the people of Afghanistan
Keywords
Artistic ResponseFamily MembersInternational ResponsePeace/ToleranceTalibanTerrorismTributesal-Qaeda
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