Tracing Patterns Foundation

Documenting • Preserving • Advancing

Knowledge and Appreciation of the Textile Arts

Berkeley, California USA

What’s On

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  • September 16–20, 2026

    Textiles as Knowledge Systems: practice, codification, and transfer

  • July 25, 2026

    KEBAYA: Timeless Appeal and Tradition

  • July 11, 2026

    Ethnic Textiles of Southwest China and Southeast Asia

  • The Collection

    Preserving Knowledge Through Material Culture

    The Tracing Patterns Collection preserves and shares traditional textiles that embody the knowledge, artistry, and cultural heritage of the communities that created them. Through teaching, research, and educational outreach, these textiles help illuminate both local traditions and centuries of global exchange. The collection also supports museums, universities, and study collections through select loans and donations.

    Visit the Collection

Children’s Books

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Kassian Cephas. Relief O 142 from the hidden foot of Borobudur temple, bearing the inscription adhya-bhogi (very fortunate). Part of the "gift of banner" narrative in the Mahakarmawibhangga.
Kassian Cephas. Reliëf O 142 from the hidden foot of Borobudur temple, bearing the inscription adhya-bhogi (very fortunate). Part of the “gift of banner” narrative in the Mahakarmawibhangga.

Support US

Give to TPF

Your donation sustains our work to preserve, advance, and share knowledge of the world’s textile traditions. It funds original research, supports scholars and makers, documents practices at risk, and makes resources and publications accessible to a global community.

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PROGRAM

Textiles Forward

Advancing Material Culture for Future Generations

Textiles are tangible markers of culture, reflecting the beliefs, values, and traditions of the people who created them. Textiles Forward connects significant textiles with qualified museums, universities, and study collections, ensuring they remain available for future study, scholarship, and appreciation.

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Featured Donation

Textile Treasures From the Teresa Lemon Shepro Collection

In December 2024, we received a generous gift of seventy-four textiles from the collection of Teresa Shepro. This remarkable collection reflects Ms. Shepro’s adventurous spirit and passion for global cultures. A gemologist by profession…

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Project

The Hampton Archive

In December 2020, we received a large gift of Papua materials from the Hampton Family, collected by Dr. O. W. Hampton in the Highlands of Papua, Indonesia, over an 18-year period (1982-1999).

The gift comprises approximately 1000 artifacts from daily and ritual lives, including stone tools and fiber materials. In addition, there are more than 20,000 color slides, 100 sounds recordings on cassette tape made in the field, and meticulous research notes.

This multi-year project has achieved many significant milestones. The latest being the repatriation of the collection to Papua in August 2026…

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