Intrinsic Beauty: Celebrating the Art of Textiles — a collaboration among museum curators Sumru Belger Krody, Lee Talbot and Shelley Burian — includes textiles rarely exhibited due to their size or fragility, such as an enormous Safavid carpet that may have decorated a Persian shrine. Other treasures include a rare embroidery from 12th-century Japan depicting the Amida Buddha accompanying devotees to paradise; a woven 14th-15th century curtain fragment that once hung in the Alhambra Palace in Spain; and a colorful tie-dye alpaca hair tunic (c. 800-1000) from Peru's Wari culture.

The juxtaposition of textiles from different regions and time periods creates conversations that shed light on cross-cultural connections and the preeminent roles textiles have played in the social, political, religious, commercial and artistic life of many communities.

To help uncover some of these stories, visitors can pick up a gallery guide (PDF) suggesting four different pathways through the exhibition. One path guides visitors to textiles paired with commentary from contemporary makers, who share their perspectives on the quality and craftsmanship of the historical artworks. Other routes explore the legacy of the collection as established by George Hewitt Myers, and intriguing stories of cultural and artist exchange.