KANGAS: An East African garment for women

A kanga is a large cotton cloth worn by women along the whole of the East African coast, especially in Kenya, Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar. Its characteristic feature is the short text printed on the cloth. Kangas are also worn by some women in Oman, due to long standing, historical connections between the various countries.

Kangas and similar garments have been part of the East African, Swahili dress code since the late 19th century. There they are still regarded as an essential item of a woman’s wardrobe. They are worn on a daily basis in and around the home, as well as for important occasions such as weddings and funerals. But their designs, colours and texts are not static. They are constantly being modified and adapted to the current political and economic situation and customer demands. Throughout the decades kangas have adopted textual and decorative elements from African, Arab, Indian and European sources. As a result, modern kangas reflect the international nature of Swahili culture.

Date of the exhibition: 3rd November 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.

The TRC provides fourteen clothing outfits for large Oman exhibition in the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam

For the large, international exhibition on Oman, which is shown in the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, the TRC has provided a set of fourteen outfits from various parts of Oman. The outfits for men, women and children come from various cities and regions of Oman and represent the wide range of dress styles worn in the country. The diversity of colours, patterns and forms reflects local and Bedouin origins as well as influences from neighbouring countries such as the Gulf States and Yemen, as well as more distant trading countries including India, Iran and East Africa, notably the island of Zanzibar.

TRC clothing at Oman Exhibition. Photograph by Joergen Koopmanschap

The exhibition was opened by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima, on 17 October 2009.

The exhibition will run until 18 April, 2010. For further information, click here.

Address:

De Nieuwe Kerk
Dam, 1012 JS Amsterdam
Tel. 020-6386909
Monday to Sunday 10.00-18.00 hrs; Thursday until 22.00 hrs.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.