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April 26, 2011

Material Witness: The Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection

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HALI, Issue 159

The leading carpet and textile publication, HALI, introduces its readers to the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection. David Lyman, Chairman & Chief Values Officer of Tilleke & Gibbins, is a well-known carpet collector and he unintentionally began the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection in the late 1980s. The law firm first acquisitioned textiles from the diverse cultures of mainland Southeast Asia to decorate its offices. He soon recognized the need to build a collection of the region’s textiles to preserve this heritage for present and future generations. The Collection houses textiles primarily composed of locally produced cotton and silk but also imported materials, such as metal-wrapped thread. Examples in the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection range in age from contemporary, or recently made, to approximately 200 years old, as age is not a deciding factor in the selection process.

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