In cooperation with the Department of Monuments and Archaeology, Leiden, and with the financial support of the Fonds 1818, the TRC has set up an interactive exhibition about hand spinning from all over the world, past and present. The exhibition is open to the public from Monday 22 August until Wednesday, 21 December 2011, at the TRC Gallery, Hogewoerd 164, Leiden. Visitors to the exhibition will be introduced to the many diverse techniques and materials that are used to prepare fibres and then given the chance to hand spin them into threads.

From fibres to thread

The exhibition includes modern utensils, ethnological spindle whorls and various forms of spinning wheels. These and other tools show the complete process of spinning, from preparing the raw fibres to the many techniques that are used to spin the fibres into a thread, by hand.

Archaeology 

The exhibition includes finds from pre-Columbian South America, Roman and medieval European remains, as well as Bronze Age Middle Eastern whorls. Together they provide a broad image of the worldwide history of hand spinning. Finds from the archaeological depot of the Leiden municipality tell about the close relationship between Leiden and the textile industry before the start of the industrial-scale production of broadcloth of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. There are also loans from the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, including spindle whorls from the famous excavations at Troy.

Interactive exhibition

Visitors will be given the opportunity to personally experience the technique of hand spinning , with a spindle, spindle wheel or a spinning wheel. They can use cotton, flax, silk or wool, but why not try some more exotic fibres, as for instance, from a camel, a yak or an alpaca, or even banana? 

On Wednesday, 11th May, 2011, HRH Princess Rajwa bint Ali opened a beautiful exhibition in the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan, entitled "Dutch lace cap exhibition meets Jordanian and Palestinian embroidered caps and head covers" (for the official announcement of the exhibition, click here).  The exhibition was set up by the TRC in cooperation with Mrs. Widad Kawar, under the auspices of the Netherlands Embassy in Amman. The opening was attended by some 200 guests. The exhibition includes seven fully dressed figures, and at least thirty lace and embroidered caps, showing a stunning contrast between the white lace and gold jewelry from Holland, and the multicoloured caps and silver jewelry from Jordan and Palestine. Many elements of the exhibition created a stir among the visitors, both Jordanian and foreign, looking at the way in which Dutch women used to cover their head and hair, and sometimes still do. Suddenly Western Europe and The Netherlands did not appear to be so strange and far away. For more information and some photographs, click here.

From Tuesday 29th March 2011, until 17th August 2011,  the TRC Gallery shows a new exhibition, which highlights an iconic form of dress from 20th century China. This is the cheongsam, a dress form for women that developed in China in the 1920s. It was first popular in Shanghai, where it was fashionable for elite women and then spread throughout China and other parts of the world thanks to the Chinese diaspora. Its peak of popularity An advertisement for Victoria soap, from Shanghai in the 1920's, showing two women wearing a cheongsam dress.was reached in the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s the wearing of the cheongsam was more or less banned in China and replaced by the ubiquitous, blue Mao suit (a genuine example of this suit is also on display). The cheongsam recently made a revival, both in China and the West, due to the changing economic situation of China over the last decades. The exhibition includes over forty women and girls' dresses on mannequins, as well as individual garments. The exhibition is accompanied by posters and photographs showing how the dresses were worn in daily life and on special occasions, such as weddings. The garments on show span a period of over one hundred years. There are even examples of the latest cheongsam fashion from Singapore, especially acquired for the exhibition in March of this year.  

The TRC is well-known for its display of Middle Eastern clothing, and therefore the Cheongsam exhibition is both a challenge for the organisers and an eye-opener for many regular TRC visitors.

The exhibition will be on display up until and including Wednesday 17th August. Entrance is free, and every Wednesday, from 14.00 hours onwards, there will be a guided tour (fees: 7.50 euros).

This exhibition is being staged with the very active support of Pepin Press, Amsterdam, and members of the Leiden Chinese community.

Men and women's clothing from Afghanistan

A New Exhibition in the TRC Gallery: 8th November 2010 - 23rd March 2011

Afghan clothing exhibition comes to Leiden:  For hundreds of years Afghanistan has been at the cross-roads between Asia, India and the West. During all that time, Afghanistan changed its name many times, but one thing that has not changed is the love the Afghan people have for colourful clothing, jewellery and embroidery.
The materials, designs and colours used by the Afghans for their clothing reflect the central and strategic location of their country. This aspect is found among all the people. The main ethnic groups in Afghanistan are the Baluch, Hazaras, Nuristani's, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Turkmens and Uzbeks. Each group has its own special way of living and its own history and background, which are reflected in their traditional dress. Some of these garments are relatively plain, others are decorated with woven, dyed and embroidered patterns in bright colours. Some garments are made of silk, others of heavy felt reflecting how cold the temperature can be at night in the mountains.

Afghan girl in traditional clothing. Photograph: Hans Stakelbeek

Although Western styles of clothing are becoming more widespread, the Afghan people are proud of their traditional dress and use it as often as possible, especially for special occasions such as the religious Eid festivals and the New Year celebrations at Nauroz. The exhibition includes over 30 outfits, plus other garments and accessories, for men, women and children. There is also an unusual outfit for buzkashi, the aggressive game of 'polo' played by Afghan men on horseback. In addition there will be the opportunity to try on a chadari (burqa'), the famous Afghan veil for women. Also on display will be a series of photographs taken by the Dutch photographer, Hans Stakelbeek, who spent many times in Afghanistan on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organisation of the exhibition is being supported by Dr Willem Vogelsang, former curator Southwest and Central Asia of the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, and since June 2008 working in Uruzgan, Afghanistan.

TRC Gallery, Hogewoerd 164, Leiden. Opening times: Monday to Wednesday, from 10.00 until 16.00, other days by appointment.

A New Exhibition in the TRC Gallery
30 August 2010 until 20 October 2010

Dress is what people wear to say who they are, what they are doing and why. The latest TRC exhibition, Three Takes on Dress, presents three totally different snapshots about dress from India (badla embroidery), Jordan (the huge Thob 'Ubb) and Turkey (circumcision dress). Three Takes on Dress has been made by various staff members and students from Leiden University. For more information, click her.Selection of modern Turkish circumcision outfits. TRC collection. Photograph Joost Kolkman.

First take: The Thob `Ubb: The longest dress in the world?
This exhibition features a Bedouin dress from Jordan that is 3 metres long and nearly 2.5 metres wide, sleeve end to sleeve end. The story goes that women started to wear these enormous dresses in order to prevent tax collectors taking small items of value such as money and jewellery. It would have been a brave man who was prepared to search these Bedouin women! The exhibition includes replica garments that can be tried on.Egyptian performer of the 1940´s wearing badla decorated clothing. Postcard TRC collection.

Second take: Badla: silver embroidery from India
Badla is a metal thread embroidery technique that originated in India and then spread throughout the Middle East. The Egyptian version became popular in the West during the 1920s following the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen and the ensuing Egyptomania. The exhibition includes fine nineteenth and twentieth century examples from India, Iran and Egypt, as well as a rare 1920s flapper dress from Europe that is made out of two Egyptian shawls.

Third take: ‘Prince for the Day’: Turkish circumcision outfits
One of the most important markers of a Muslim boy’s life is his circumcision. This operation identifies him as a member of the Islamic community. When this event occurs varies from one country to another. In Turkey, for example, it normally takes place when the boy is between 6 and 10 years old and for one day he is regarded as a prince and treated to a large party to celebrate this important moment. The exhibition includes a late nineteenth century circumcision outfit, as well as several examples of the current fashions in Istanbul.

Detail of sari decorated using batik. TRC Collection. Photograph by Joost Kolkman.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

Bethlehem jacket, early 20th century, TRC collection.TRC Gallery, Leiden; 10 March until 22 August, 2010

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. For hundreds of years, embroidered textiles have decorated homes, public buildings, animals (especially horses), as well as the clothing of men, women and children. Embroidery has played a role in the social and cultural life of communities, as well as reflecting economic and political changes. 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 exhibition looks at various styles of embroidery and how this versatile textile technique is used to decorate men and women’s clothing in a wide variety of forms, colours and designs. The role of the French embroidery company of DMC is highlighted as it has influenced Arab embroidery, especially that from the Mediterranean region, for well over 100 years. 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. Some of the embroideries on show are made out of silk, others of linen or wool. Some garments on display are decorated with large, abstract and colourful patterns, other examples are small, geometric and very precise. Many garments are further embellished with a wide range of beads, shells, coins and amulets. All objects derive from the collection of the TRC, Leiden.

Address: Hogewoerd 164, 2311 HW Leiden
Telephone: 071-5134144
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Website: www.trc-leiden.nl
Opening times: Monday to Wednesdays from 10.00 until 16.00, other days by appointment only. From March 24-28, during the Leiden Textile Festival, the TRC is open every day.

Opening of the TRC exhibition on Arab embroidery, on 9th March, 2010.

oya necklace For hundreds of years Turkey has been famous for the production of decorative textiles, including a wide range of gold and silk embroideries of the highest quality. But there is also a ‘minor’ textile art produced by Turkish women, which is not so well-known. This textile art is generally called oya or Turkish lace. The term oya includes a range of lace techniques that are used to decorate garments, especially women’s headscarves, and a wide variety of household textiles such as sheets, tablecloths and towels. The exhibition explores the different types, namely crochet, needle, hairpin and tatting techniques, which are used to make oya, and the different forms of two and three-dimensional oya lace.

• Date of the exhibition: 1st December 2009 - 28th February 2010
• Location: TRC Gallery, Hogewoerd 164, 2311 HW Leiden
• Open: Monday - Wednesday 09.00 - 16.00 hrs, or upon appointment
• Tel. 071-5134144 or 06-28830428