Blog

With all the people here at the TRC, or via other friends, we can usually identify the textiles and garments that come in. There was a description in a previous blog, for example, of textiles that might be church pillar hangings (TRC 2024.2934a-b). There were also rectangular shapes that turned out to be humeral veils (TRC 2024.3061) that are worn by Roman Catholic priests as a form of shawl, over a chasuble.

But ever so often we get an object that flummoxes us, so we have decided to have a new series of blogs called ‘What is it’? The first ? item (TRC 2024.3109) came in a few days ago and is part of a donation of textiles and garments that originate from as far apart as Guatemala and Indonesia and were donated by Marjolijn van Scherpenzeel (Hartendief, Leiden).

Large rectangle with a central panel of green silk velvet edged with black, red and grey silk velvet and framed by a band of yellow diagonal lines in surface couching (TRC2024.3109).

Pim Arts, curator Dordrechts Museum, visiting the TRC to inspect the recent donation of liturgical vestments. Photograph by Herra Pahlasari.by Christina de Korte, intern at the TRC from Utrecht University, 9 November 2024

In the last couple of weeks, visitors to the Textile Research Centre (TRC) in Leiden could see two clothing racks filled with colourful silk chasubles, dalmatics, and other types of liturgical vestments, which were donated by Marjolijn van Scherpenzeel (Hartendief, Leiden). These items are intriguing on various levels, for example, from a technical perspective, looking at the production methods of the garments, or from an art historical viewpoint, focussing on the pattern design, but also with particular attention for the religious usage of the textiles. As a student of religious studies, I was excited when these items arrived, especially because my main research focus is on textiles that are used in religious settings.

On the 31st October 2024, curator and researcher Pim Arts (Dordrechts Museum) came to the TRC to discuss these new TRC items and to provide more historical and social context. Pim has extensive knowledge about liturgical vestments and has curated, among other events, the exhibition Fashion for God at the Museum Catharijneconvent (2023) in Utrecht. The exhibition focused on liturgical outfits in clandestine Catholic churches in the (Protestant) north of the Netherlands from the late sixteenth to the early nineteenth century. An important element in the exhibition was the recycling of textiles, and this aspect also plays an prominent role in the importance of the recent donation.

Egyptian khayamiya door panel (late 20th century) (TRC 2024.1544). Photograph author.My name is Christina de Korte, and I am a visual artist and currently a second-year research master student in Religious Studies at Utrecht University, specializing in the intersection between textiles, art, and (material) religion. From September 2024 until mid-December 2024, I am an intern at the TRC.

From September 2022 until April 2023, I lived in Egypt for eight months to learn the Egyptian Arabic dialect, study Egyptian art(ists) and textiles, and follow various courses about local techniques. I fell in love with khayamiya, a textile that is omnipresent in Egypt.

Matching pair of strapwork panels, European, mid- to late 16th century (TRC 2024.2934a-b).We have just had a wow moment at the TRC. A friend of mine, Marjolijn van Scherpenzeel, came to the TRC with several boxes of Catholic liturgical garments, which she donated to the TRC. They included some chasubles and dalmatics. Most of the garments were made from 18th century silks, and there are a couple that appear to be older. More about these pieces in a forthcoming blog!

In addition, there were some Chinese and European embroideries, including two long, narrow and matching panels. They looked familiar and I thought, no it was not possible, yes it is, no it’s not……

On closer examination, I could see that the panels (TRC 2024.2934a-b) in question are examples of strapwork (known as rolwerk in Dutch).

They are made with a plain, dark red, silk velvet ground, with blue- and cream-coloured silk shapes and straps, which have been applied (appliqué) to the ground and then outlined with two different types of silk cords (passementerie), which were couched down onto the velvet. All the stitching is hand done.

Emilie Lambert, TRC intern, Leiden University (Archaeology), 15 October 2024

This summer, the TRC received a bag filled with some 60 or so odd metal buttons. With no clear time or place of origin they are items without a story...or are they? As an archaeology student who is used to having to read between the lines and fill contextual gaps, I was determined to retrieve as much information as I could.

These buttons can now be found in the TRC online catalogue, and within that, in the reference collection on fastenings. Even without the garments they were worn with, the type, shape, material and decoration of fastenings are a valuable component of dress and identity.

A metal button made of a thin, flat sheet with a domed centre and border decoration, with a small cone shank. The Netherlands, 19th century (TRC 2024.2592).

Side view showing the shank (TRC 2024.2592).

As they were being catalogued, I noticed there are many different shank attachment types. A quick literature review reveals many of these styles were first used in the 19th century. TRC 2024.2592 is an example of a flat sheet button with a small cone shank. Others, particularly those with a key (or U-cast) shank (TRC 2024.2589), are not known before the 20th century.

The final activity for the Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie project: 'Engaging textile heritage communities through citizen culture', was kicked off by the opening of this mini-exhibition with the title 'Verbinding' (Connection), on Tuesday, 1 October 2024.

This comes after 18 months of participatory activities with diaspora community members at the TRC Leiden. In April 2023, we started inviting members of various diaspora communities belonging to cultural organisations and community centres primarily in Leiden, but also from Amsterdam and Capelle a/d IJssel.

Mini TRC exhibition: Verbinding

For this last activity, multimedia artist Ramia Suleiman joined the project team to help with developing the theme and concept of the mini-exhibition, and outreach for participants. This was more than a presentation of culture; it was a presentation of the participants' own emotional connection through textiles. In Ghada Abhari and Herra Pahlasari we found a great team who were committed to work on every aspect of their exhibition.

Guests at the opening of the TRC mini exhibition "Verbinding', 1 October 2024. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.

Shisha embroiderer Geetaben Meriya, from Gujarat’s Kutch region, helps participants at the TRC’s recent masterclass in shisha work. Photo by Shelley AndersonOne stitch, then another stitch....I wonder what this stitch is called? Somebody said a buttonhole stitch....oh, no, I’ve forgotten how many stitches I’ve done! These were some of the thoughts running through my head at the TRC’s masterclass in shisha, on 25th September.

Shisha is embroidering with mirrors, or the stitching of other shiny substances onto garments—clothes (especially clothing for women and girls), but also wall hangings and other decorations for the home. And for small cloth hammocks for babies, as we were shown in a slide presentation at the beginning of the masterclass, organised by the Amsterdam-based Textiel Factorij, which organises exchanges between Indian and Dutch crafts people.

Our teacher for the class, embroideress Geetaben Meriya, was involved with making the beautiful baby’s cradle. She’s been doing shisha embroidery since she was 14, and lives in the village of Sumrasar, in Gujarat’s Kutch region, in western India.

A participant photographs a green front piece of a dress (TRC 2011.0036) on top of a red shawl from Tunisia (early 20th century) (TRC 2018.0276). Photograph by Christina de Korte.by Maria Linkogle and Christina de Korte, 25 September 2024. 

“It was a beautiful day!” This is how the study day on embroidery from the Middle East and North Africa on 20 September 2024 was described by one of the participants and everyone present agreed.

There group of participants included two TRC volunteers, with the TRC director Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood presenting. The size of the group made it possible to have a tailored experience in the realm of Middle Eastern and North African embroidery.

“How many different embroidery styles are there in the Middle East and North Africa?”

This was the first question posed. The answer: around 150 different embroidery types have been identified. We saw in an extensive presentation photographs of different stitches, including types of couching, chain stitch, cross stitch, satin stitch, but also of different patterns, colour combinations, materials (such as metal embroidery). In addition to the textiles and the embroidery techniques, we learned about the cultural entanglements and (historical) context in which some pieces were made and what to take into consideration when studying textiles from this area. After this introductory lecture, we had a lovely lunch and we had the opportunity to discuss what we had seen and heard.

Photograph showing remains of one of the sleeve wings associated with Tutankhamun, and the reconstruction (right), by Gillian Vogelsang and Martin Hense, of the decorative pattern.