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A Japanese woodcut by Kano Yoshinobu (1552-1640) depicting a stencil dyeing workshop with a range of textiles drying in the sun Kita’in temple, (20th century reproduction, private collection).Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC, 28 July 2024

In 2023, Sytske Wijnsma donated a group of 28 Japanese textile stencils (katagami; TRC 2023.0197 - TRC 2023.0225) to the TRC. A few weeks ago she gave another 40 examples (TRC 2024.2008 – TRC 2024.2048). Most of the stencils have been used, but some are pristine. They represent various forms of stencils used for paste-resist dyeing (katazome), which was and still is used to create intricate patterns and motifs for a range of garments and soft furnishings.

A brief history

It is not clear when the use of paper stencils for paste-resist dyeing was first used in Japan, but it is likely that they were in use by the end of the Murimachi (period 1336-1573). More details are available from the Edo period (1603-1868), which is regarded as a golden age for stencil dyeing. It would appear that by that time the technique was applied in various Japanese towns and cities, as well as temples.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, 23 July 2024

Pockets – hmmmmm, even though I have pockets on many of the garments I wear on a daily basis, it is not a subject I have ever given much thought to, let alone realise how many different types there are! But over the last few weeks I have been seeing pockets all over the place.

Two miniature school samples of pockets. The Netherlands, c. 1915 (TRC 2024.0873.27).

It started with a box of school samples from the former Naaldkunst Museum (TRC 2024.0873.27), which include some ordinary pockets on garments, as well as some underskirt pockets, which are known in Dutch as a rokzak (literally ‘skirt bag’). They came in both miniature practice pieces and in full-scale examples and were probably made by girls ranging in age from about 10 to 14.

Sample of worsted cloth (stuff) with narrow black stripes on a purple ground. Norwich, 18th century (TRC 2023.0877).by Willem Vogelsang, 12 July 2024

Last year Dr Michael Nix from Norwich, England, gave a lecture at the TRC in Leiden about historical textiles from Norwich and their connections with the Netherlands, in particular with the historical town of Leiden.

My attention was drawn to the terminology he used for some Norwich textiles made from wool, in particular his use of the two words ‘stuff’ and ‘cloth’. I was intrigued. The English ‘stuff’ has various meanings (compare ‘I am stuffed’), but as a term for a specific type of textile, I was wondering whether there was a link with the common Dutch word for textile, namely stof.

According to Dr Nix, the English word stuff is an old word for a fabric made from combed wool fibres, never fulled. They produce a thin, fine and strong thread, for instance used for men’s suits. The textiles are generally known as worsted fabrics (named after the village of Worstead in East Anglia, not far from Norwich). The word cloth, on the other hand, is often specifically used for textiles made from carded wool, often fulled. This fabric is soft and fluffy and used for items such as blankets, jumpers, scarves, etc.

Yet, it is not that straightforward. Historical records indicate that the word stuff was also sometimes used for textiles that were made of other types of fibres, such as a mixture of combed and carded wool, or even of combed wool and silk.

Recently acquired 20th century Japanese kimono with ikat patterns (TRC 2024.1477).Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director, 12 July 2024

The TRC Collection is an essential and important aspect of the work of the TRC – in managerial terms, it is our unique selling point. Details about the individual items in the collection can be found in the online catalogue, while an updated (per 11 July 2024) appraisal with information and highlights about different aspects of the collection can be downloaded here.

Many of the items in the collection have been donated by individuals, groups and museums, and represent Citizen Culture and Heritage actively at work. More details about such donations can be found by browsing through the TRC Blog pages.

By Dr. Willem Vogelsang, Lt Col. (ret) and former Cultural Advisor to the Dutch armed forces in Afghanistan. 10 July 2024

A few days ago, Gillian and I returned from a short trip to France, where we went to see the Bayeux Tapestry (we had seen it before, but it remains a spectacular piece of early cartoon work and well worth another visit), Chambord Castle along the Loire (where we admired the chintz wall coverings), and the fascinating fortress of Carcassonne in the south of the country.

And before seeing Joanne and Luc Aujame in Lyon (whose parents used to work in Afghanistan), we went to visit our dear friends, Rolando and May Schinasi, in Nice, the main reason for our trip (and they remember Luc Aujame as a young boy in Kabul). Over the years they have donated many textiles and other items from Afghanistan to the TRC, including a marvellous collection of Turkmen and other jewellery.

Set of prayer beads made from Shah Maqsud chrysolite stone, from southern Afghanistan, pre-1965 (TRC 2024.1940).

by Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC, 18 June 2024

We are currently working on another of the many (and often intriguing) boxes of items from the former Naaldkunst Museum, Winschoten, which were donated to the TRC in October 2023.  In this particular box there were a number of school samples in the form of semi-formal work pieces, rather than the more formal samplers with alphabets, numbers, names, dates, etc.

Fig. 1: School sample, worked by a young girl, with six types of patching, stitched with red yarn, and with a crochet inset (insertion) down the middle of the cloth. The Netherlands, early 20th century (TRC 2024.1633).

All of the school samples date to the first quarter of the 20th century and show a diversity of skill levels. They were made by young girls between the age of 6 and about 12, who were learning about textiles and needlework and how to sew cloth for later domestic and professional use. The techniques include the making of basic seams, hems, buttonholes and eyelets, as well as the sewing on of items such as buttons, hooks and eyes, loops and ties.

Hand woven ikat cloth from East Sumba, Indonesia, early 20th century (TRC 2000.0085).by Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC, 11 June 2024

Part and parcel of the TRC are the absorption and dissemination of knowledge about textiles and dress, and especially about items that are already in the TRC’s large and diverse collection.

This is done by studying specific aspects and publishing about them (such as via the Bloomsbury embroidery encyclopedia series), or by focussing on parts of the collection and expanding the information provided in the online catalogue (such as by TRC’s intern student Olivia Buchan’s study of the lace collection).

We also invite groups of people to come and talk in an informal setting about specific forms of textiles and dress. This is the series of meetings: Let's talk about ... , for which people with specific interests, from different communities or with various ethnic roots are invited to the TRC to see and talk about groups of objects from the collection. 

A significant aspect of these group visits is to make items from the TRC Collection available for discussion purposes. We want to learn, and record information for the future.

Japanese kimono from the 20th century, died with ikat technique (TRC 2022.0977).A tool, piece of cloth or a garment on the table can open up lines of discussion, as well as bring forth new information or perspectives on a particular technique, uses, symbolism or indeed, a whole culture.

Over the last year or so, there have been a Romanian embroidered blouses day, a Moroccan henna afternoon, a group visit of embroiderers from different countries organised by Museum De Lakenhal here in Leiden, not to mention the regular visits of a group of bobbin lace makers who help further identify and describe our collection of bobbin lace and equipment.

And just a few days ago, an ikat afternoon was held at the TRC with a group of ikat weavers and wearers, whose ancestors originate from various parts of the world, including Indonesia. 

By Shelley Anderson, TRC volunteer, 8 June 2024

The recent five-day ErasmusPlus study tour to Finland by five TRC volunteers, supported by European Union funding, was a stimulating learning opportunity.

Mannequin in regional Finnish dress, holding a hand carved, decorated distaff, late 19th century. Such spindles were given to women as part of courtship for marriage. From the National Crafts Museum, Jyvaskyla. Photograph by Hanke van ProoijeWe were introduced to the work of Taito (Finnish for 'craft'), the national Finnish umbrella organization for the promotion of crafts. Taito's activities to preserve traditional skills, including weaving, knitting, rug making and basketry, are truly impfessive. We also visited the KSL Study Centre (run by the KSL Civic Association for Adult Learning), which uses crafts such as sewing and quilting to promote community participation and social dialogue.

We visited KSL’s stall at the World Village Festival, an annual Helsinki weekend event that each year attracts thousands of people. We assisted in distributing a small kit with felt, a needle and different coloured thread, with a flyer about craftivism, for free.

With this kit, people are encouraged to start embroidering something of their liking and thereby help to build a world where nature, animals and humans are all respected. “We want to inspire people, especially people who might not identify with traditional means of activism (e.g., marching or gathering signatures for a petition), to take part in social debates,” said KSL coordinator, Riina Nasi.

KSL also helps pensioners in different senior citizen homes to embroider panels for a massive “memory” quilt, in order to share those memories with others. Another craftivism project involves bringing people together to stitch “My Promise to Finland”--an individual action each person promises to make towards building a better society.