Month: December 2018

Advent calendar December 4th 2018

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Our fourth advent calendar post is a purse made out of brownish/ purpleish silk velvet with metal band decoration. It’s lined with red leather. Draw string is made out of blue silk.
The purse have been used as a reliquary bag and contains small hard objects wrapped in fabric and with notes of parchment. Possibly bones from saint/s. We have no idea what saint or saints.

The purse is dated to 1350-1500 AD,

Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles

Advent calendar December 3rd 2018

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Our third advent calendar post is piece of a decorative weave from the Oseberg burial, Norway.
The textile is made out of wool. We are not 100% sure about the fibre content of the warp, we suspect linen.

The ship, from where the textile was found, was built 820 AD and the grave was covered  834 AD. The ship was covered with clayey soil. This has protected the grave as clay-rich soil is very low in oxygen.

Now in the collections of Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, Norway.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles

Advent calendar December 2th 2018

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Our second advent calendar post is not a textile but a textile tool. A spindel whorl.
It’s made out of clay. This one was found at the excavation of Kalmar Slottsfjärden, the bay outside Kalmar castle, Sweden. Kalmar was one of the biggest medieval cities in Sweden during 14th century.

The whorl is dated to 14th century. Approx. size is 3 cm high.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical textiles

Advent calendar December 1th 2018

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Our advent calendar starts with a famous mitten from Åsle, Sweden.
The mitten is made in naalbinding technique.
It’s made out of wool yarn. The fringe was originally red, green and undyed wool.
When the mitten was found it was dated to 3rd- 5th century. 2002 a C-14 dated changed that and placed the dating of the mitten to 1510-1640.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical textiles