While you may not think of coming to New Mexico to find digital textiles from Europe and Asia, gallery owners travel around the world and collect material that has long been part of the eclectic and colorful Santa Fe look. More predictably, there is a good range of objects from the Americas. Several shops and galleries have the beautifully colored costumes of Guatemala, and the witty applique blouse panels or molas of the Panamanian Cuna peoples. There are also the exquisitely striped ponchos from Bolivia and the ancient garments from Peru, perhaps the most sophisticated of all South American textile print in terms of technique and iconography.
As with other antiques, the questions of authenticity and condition are important. Authenticity can be learned by studying the objects and reading. If you have not built your own expertise, it is best to rely on that of a respected dealer. The condition of a textile should always be considered when making a purchase. A textile in perfect condition is ideal, but old pieces that have been used and loved carry a patina that may bring a deeper, more sublime pleasure. The problems of condition most common to antique textile designs print are dirt, wear and fading. Antique digital textiles can usually be cleaned either by dry or wet methods. Holes and other damage can also be repaired by sewing or reweaving. This is the work of a skilled restorer or conservator. Frequently, restoration work has been so successfully done that it is not apparent to the untrained eye. Always ask to have the restoration work pointed out.
There are many options in displaying your textile collection. A frequent choice is to sew the textile to what is known as a "rigid mount": a stretcher with fabric pulled over it. A rigid mount should be done only by a professional textile mounter because if it is not done correctly, the textile will eventually begin to sag. After the textile has been properly mounted, it can be further framed, with or without glass or plexiglass. Because textile printing have great tactile qualities, it is a pity to cover them, but it should be done if they are to be hung in a high traffic or breezy place. Many creative methods for displaying fabrics can be used by employing poles, bamboo, plexi or lacquered dowels suspended from the ceiling or wall. A recent magazine article showed Kenzo's house in Paris filled with his textile collection draped over kimono racks: a traditional Japanese way of showing beautiful garments when they were not being worn.