Rug and Textile Appreciation Morning: Radiocarbon Dating and the Inka Empire
Collectors Matthew Polk and Amy Gould will introduce participants to the uses and limitations of radiocarbon dating, with a focus on dating textiles from ancient Andean civilizations. They will explore the many questions that surround these artworks, drawing on examples from the Weaving an Empire: Textiles of the Inka World, as well as textiles from their personal collection.
About the Exhibition
In the 15th century, the Inka built one of the world’s largest empires, rapidly expanding beyond the Cuzco Valley to occupy much of South America’s western region. Weaving an Empire: Textiles of the Inka World displays rarely exhibited garments from the diverse communities under Inka rule who dressed to reflect allegiance to the empire and their own local styles and traditions. Learn more about the exhibition
About Matthew Polk and Amy Gould
Matthew Polk and Amy Gould have been collecting textiles together for over 45 years and have travelled extensively to learn about the cultures their collections represent. A retired architect and member of the AIA College of Fellows, Gould is a former trustee of The Textile Museum and currently a vice president of the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). Matthew Polk is a semi-retired loudspeaker designer who co-founded Polk Audio and, more recently, MSI-DFAT Services, an aerospace acoustics testing firm. He is a former trustee of the BMA, a current trustee of the Walters Art Museum and has recently joined The Textile Museum board.
How to Participate
This program is free and open to the public. You can join us in person at the museum or watch the livestream online. Please register in advance and choose how you would like to participate. We will email virtual attendees a link and instructions for joining via Zoom. When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.
About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings
Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs
Additional Information
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