Today we in Sweden celebrates Christmas.
Our twenty fourth advent calendar post is a silk and gold thread embroidery. It’s made in the studio connected to the famous painter Albertus Pictor. Aka Albert Pärlstickare ( bead/ pearl embroider).
The embroidery is a back shield and was originally attached to a cope from Maria church, Sigtuna, Sweden.
The shield is dated to mid- late 15th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
God jul!
/Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our twenty-third advent calendar post is a relics purse from Troyes, France. This relics purse is connected to the Comtes de Champagne. The whole surface of the purse is filled with counted embroidery made in filament silk. We don’t know what is underneath the stitches, but we guess at a very evenly woven linen.
We were really surprised bu the size of the purse, it’s quite large. Approx. 20- 25 cm in the bottom of the purse.
It’s in great condition and the small lovely turks head knots around the bottom and the lid are super cute and impressivly even.
This piece is dated to 13th century.
Now in collections of the Troyes Cathedral
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our twenty-second advent calendar post is a detail from a gilded leather coverlet from Dalhem church, Småland, Sweden. This one is called Dalhem 2 since the church have got not only one but two coverlets connected to the church.
We would like you to look at the fabrics. The hard spun warp on the red fabric ( shows horizontal on the picture) and the thicker weft. And on the white fabric, that has got a z- spun warp and s-spun weft- giving a very dense look of the fabric. It gives sometimes a visual look of knitting when seen from the diagonal.
They piece is dated to late 15th early 16th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our twenty-first advent calendar post is a once again a textile tool. A small lucet made in bone. It’s a find from the city of Sigtuna, the first city of Sweden.
It’s dated 11th-13th century
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles 
Our twentieth advent calendar post is a small fragment of linen. Also today we show a quite unusual piece. It is a dark red linen fabric from Italy.
The fragment have got a small seam but we can’t say what it use to be. We know from sources that dyed linen did occur during the late medieval period in Italy. But it’s not the dye that we want you to focus on today.
We would like you to look at the seam. Check out the tiny back stitches. The scale above show millimeters. The stitches are less than 1 mm each.
They fragment is dated to late 15th early 16th century.
Now part of the secret Italian collection.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our nineteenth advent calendar post is a small fragment of a wool fabric item. The fabric is something quite unusual. The warp and the weft have very different colours, warp lighter and weft darker. This is not something common, at all. The fabric have gone brown after years in the ground, but even before it must have been a clear visual difference of the warp and the weft. It’s woven in 2/2 twill. The fragment also have some seams. It was clearly sewn into something before it ended up in the ground in the city of Enköping, Västmanland, Sweden.
They fragment is dated to 13-15th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our eighteenth advent calendar post is a tablet woven band. The band is made in silk and metal thread. The band comes from Vreta Abbey, Östergötland, Sweden. The abbey opened in ca 1105 and closed down 1582.
They band is dated to approx. 13- 15th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Ola Myrin, SHM
Our seventeenth advent calendar post is an alb with embroideries. The alb comes from Brännkyrka kyrka, Södermanland, Sweden. It is made of of the thinnest linen and is in great condition considering it’s age.
The embroideries are made with silk thread and metal spangles.
They alb is dated to 17th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our sixteenth advent calendar post is a selection of spindle whorls. They all comes from various archeological excavations from different Swedish cities. The whorls are made out of clay, lead, and bone.
The whorls have different shapes and weighs differently.
They whorls are dated 13-16th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Our fifteen advent calendar post is, once agin not a textile but a textile tool, a rigid heddle is from Västkinde, Gotland, Sweden. It’s made out of elk horn.
It is decorated on both sides. The size is H. 4,7 cm , W. 4,5 cm.
The rigid heddle is dated to 1350- 1490 AD.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
