The Red X

Words and handkerchief by The Keeper

Throughout the centuries, small groups of craftspeople have kept our stories of sexual subversion and identity alive. Through their artistry, they retold these often curious and compelling tales.

The makers went under the sign of a red 'X'. The symbol was used mainly as a potter's mark and as a means of identification in other mediums, such as embroidery and metalwork.

This preliterate mark of a red 'X' was created using red ochre pigment or ground red hematite.

Over time these objects were entrusted to the custodian of the sex objects, The Keeper, to preserve and pass along to future generations. These items have come to form the foundation of the Museum of Sex Objects today.

This artwork is part of The Wall of Sexual Heroes, a collaborative textile art piece featured in our previous exhibition at the Horse Hospital (2022) and Bow Arts Lab (2023). All embroidered, printed and appliquėd handkerchiefs celebrate unsung heroes of sexual emancipation, activism and innovation.

The Wall is an organic work. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with The Keeper. 


More tales of Sexual Heroes>