The Textile Research Centre is shut from Thurday, 1st July 2010 until Sunday 1st August 2010. It will be open again on Monday 2nd August 2010.

Just published, and distributed among all friends, supporters and others who are interested in the work of the TRC. The Newsletter can be downloaded as a PDF-file. Please note: the Newsletter is in Dutch only ! Click here......

by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood

NEW: published by Primavera Pers, Leiden, in cooperation with the TRC

The Arab world is famous for its calligraphy, miniatures, woodwork, ceramics and silver. However, so far little has been said about another important aspect of Arab culture: the art of embroidery. For centuries, embroidered cloth has been used to decorate private houses and public buildings and to dress men, women and children. Embroidery played an important part in both social and cultural lives of people and reflected economic and political change. This is the first time that a book has been dedicated to the various types of embroidery from the Arab world. The book presents numerous examples of embroidery from Arab countries and shows some of the various ways in which techniques, colours and motifs were and still are used to embellish textiles. It will be a source of knowledge and inspiration for anyone with an interest in textiles and dress and for those who are curious about a relatively unknown aspect of Arabic art.

128 pag., 22 x 26 cm (pb), 134 ill. in full colour
ISBN 978-90-5997-089-2
EUR 27.50

The book is for sale from the TRC. For postage within The Netherlands, please transfer the sum of EUR 31 (including packaging and postage) to ING bank account 2982359, "TRC Leiden", with reference to "Embroidery". Do not forget to give your address! For postage outside of Holland, please email the TRC: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for costs of shipment.

A recent donation to the TRC proved to be very unusual. It is a miniature tricorned hat made by an apprentice for his journeyman's certificate, signed and dated 27th September, 1796, in Leiden. Both hat and certificate are currently being restored and researched by the TRC and various other interested parties and sponsors. A special fund raising programme has been set up to pay for the costs of conservation, for research, and for the publication of the results. For a Dutch language description of the programme, click here.

From April to June 2010, the TRC again organises a large number of activities, including lectures and workshops, about Arab embroidery, Japanese kimonos, Indian saris, and many other subjects. For a full list, please consult the Activities page.

A new exciting and colourful exhibition in the TRC Gallery, to accompany the above mentioned book with the same name

The world of Islamic and Arab art is well-known for its beautiful calligraphy, its manuscript miniatures, the exquisite geometric designs on wood, its pottery and silverware, but little has been said until now about another important aspect of Arab culture, namely its embroidery. This is the first time in The Netherlands that an exhibition has been dedicated to the various types of embroidery from the Arab world. On display are over 60 examples of embroidery, from various Arab countries including the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen.

 The oldest embroideries on display are two fragments from children’s tunics, which date from about the 5th century A.D. These rare pieces come from Coptic Egypt. More recent items include an early 20th century dress and velvet jacket from Bethlehem; a late 20th century man’s cloak from the High Atlas mountains of Morocco, Bedouin dresses from the Northern Sinai; wedding dresses from Morocco, the Siwa Oasis (Egypt) and Saudi Arabia, as well as various types of indigo dresses from Yemen. Read more ..... This exhibition can be hired by other museums or suitable institutes. Click here

The Textile Research Centre, together with the National Museum of Ethnology, organises an exhibition on the Indian sari. The exhibition will be on display at the National Museum of Ethnology, Steenstraat 1, Leiden, from 21 March to and including 17 October 2010.

The sari is a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the body. The various materials, the decoration and the way in which the garment is worn reflect the many different parts of the Indian subcontinent, the various ethnic groups, age and caste differences, and so forth. The exhibition includes tens of beautiful examples of this gracious garment and it thus illustrates its long history and diversity.  

A large exhibition on the subject of saris, emphasising the techniques of producing and decorating the garment, is currently for hire by other museums or suitable institutes. Click here