The Imago Mundi is considered the oldest surviving world map. It was found in a town called Sippar in Iraq. It dates back to between 700 and 500 BC. It is currently on display at the British Museum in London. The history of quilting may date back as far as 3400 BCE. In Europe, quilting appears to have been introduced by the Crusaders in the 12th Century as functional pieces under armor. One of the earliest decorative works is the Tristan Quilt, made around 1360 in Sicily.
The stitching together of pieces of maps like quilting is something I’ve something I’ve been doing throughout quarantine using my collection of maps as well as my books of poetry, stamps, and old money from my travels. Stitching maps, memories, and dreams together as a way of recreating a borderless world that reminds me of quilts when they are finished. These maps are like reading dreams, or forgotten memories, or history.