On Aug. 22, the Crow Museum of Asian Art at UTD opened “Unseen Worlds: Southeast Asian Textiles from the Spancake Collection” at the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum.
The exhibition showcases historic Southeast Asian textiles and cultural artifacts, ranging from tattoo implements to ritual garbs. Over seven countries are woven together across works strung from Houston-based collectors Jenny and Steven Spancake.
“Everybody has been enraptured by these pieces,” Jenny Spancake said. “They’re very traditional, very religious pieces but I just love how the weaver got to say what she wanted to say in each.”
Central to the exhibition is the naga, a serpent-like spirit that, even across different religions and times, appears in all sorts of elements on display. A hand-out to visitors even encourages them to “spot the naga” in various elements — a fun way to provoke audiences to look into the details of each piece.
Steven Spancake emphasized that the naga’s historic value is rich in the region. He said that, likely because snakes shed their skin, the snake-like creature became associated with transformation, connecting cultures across Southeast Asia.
“The exhibition kind of came about because of [the nagas],” Jenny Spancake said. “[Curator Natalia Di Pietrantonio] was looking at the texting and said ‘well, there’s a naga; there’s a naga.’ The nagas are omnipresent.”
Each piece tells a unique story and has a practice behind it. A tattoo implement might grant the wearer of its prints a particular boon, Steven Spancake said. A soldier awards protection, for instance, while a tiger offers strength, he said.
Similar to other works at the Crow Museum at UTD, such as Carolyn Brown’s photography, the collection serves another purpose: preservation of a history that could’ve been lost to time. Textiles are fragile and their protection requires careful maintenance.
“Steve and Jenny are dedicated to preserving history through the collection,” Caroline Kim, director of development for the Crow Museum at UTD, said. “They offer a, at times, very destructive and turbulent history that could have otherwise been forgotten if it weren’t for their dedication as keepers of the collection.”
The exhibition will remain on display until June 2027. The Crow Museum at UTD is free to visitors and open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Everything works together so well,” Jenny Spancake said. “It all tries to show a lot of different aspects of life and culture — together.”