All the Colors of the Rainbow

Uzbekistan Ikats from the Collection of Peggy Slappey

All the Colors of the Rainbow presents a vivid collection of ikat garments created in Uzbekistan in the 19th century, comprising robes, shoes, hats, bags, and even jewelry.

For the past decade, ikat patterns have permeated the fashion and design industry, touching everything from clothing and furniture to decorative arts. Despite its recent ubiquity, the ikat tradition has roots that go back centuries and cross many different cultures.

Ikat is a complex dyeing technique used to pattern textiles by employing a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye, and the resulting cloth is often made into garments using a varied combination of colors. The word ikat (pronounced ‘ee-KAHT’) comes from the Malaysian word “menjikat” meaning to tie. The technique developed independently in several parts of the world, namely South America, Japan, Indonesia, India, and western Central Asia.

Published by Birmingham Museum of Art 2016. Exhibition Dates: March 19, 2016 - July 10, 2016.