ENGLISH BELOW
Som många av er kanske redan känner till så har vi ända sedan starten av vår blogg älskat och återskapat några av de medeltida guldskinnsbroderierna. Vi har drivits av en önskan att förstå användandet av broderiernas funktion, en nyfikenhet på hur de tillverkats, en längtan efter att skapa tillsammans med vänner och en önskan att få se broderierna hur originalen kunde sett ut då de var i sin guldglänsande prakt.

Vi har analyserat alla broderier som finns i samlingen hos Statens Historiska museum, Ilsbotäcket hos Hälsinglands museum och Maskutäcket hos Nationalmuseum i Finland. Kvar på listan finns ett broderi som idag tillhör The Metropolitan museum i New York.

Svenska Fornminnesföreningen delar ut Mandelgrenpriset.
“Mandelgrenpriset ska minna om konstnären och folklivsforskaren Nils Månsson Mandelgrens (1813–1899) banbrytande dokumentation av historiska och arkeologiska bilder, föremål och miljöer, häpnadsväckande i kvalité och omfattning. Nils Månsson Mandelgren hade ett brinnande intresse för kulturhistoria men även för sin samtid och reste över hela Sverige för att dokumentera konst, miljöer, människor, och arkeologiska artefakter. Priset till hans minne tillkom på initiativ av docenten i konstvetenskap Lennart Karlsson (1933-2014) som under tjugo år arbetade på Statens historiska museum som specialist med särskilt intresse för medeltida konst. Priset delas ut årligen sedan 2016. Svenska Fornminnesföreningens styrelse beslutar vem som skall få priset.”

Här kan ni läsa Svenska fornminnesföreningens motivering till varför de valt att ge 2021 års pris till oss.

Vi är, som ni kanske redan förstått, otroligt smickrade och glada över den oerhört fina utmärkelsen. Vi vill rikta ett stort tack till Svenska fornminnesföreningen. Det är en ära att få tillhöra den framstående skara av tidigare pristagare till Mandelgrenpriset.
Vi vill också tacka alla som varit med och broderat och hjälpt till med rekonstruktionerna av broderierna. Utan er hade det inte varit möjligt!

Vad skall vi göra med prispengarna? Då det återigen går att resa, skall vi självklart resa till New York och analysera det återstående broderiet.
Och så skall vi fira ihop med alla som deltagit i rekonstruktionsarbetena.
/ Amica och Maria



ENGLISH
As many of you may already know, we have loved and recreated some of the medieval gilt leather embroideries since the start of our blog. We have been driven by a desire to understand the use of the embroidery’s function, a curiosity about how they are made, a desire to create with friends and a wish to see the embroideries look like the originals could have looked like when they were in their golden splendor. 

We have analyzed all the embroideries in the collection at the Statens Historiska museum, Ilsbo coverlet at Hälsinglands museum and Masku coverlet at the National Museum in Finland. Remaining on the list is an embroidery that today belongs to The Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Svenska Fornminnesföreningen (The Swedish Antiquities Association) awards the Mandelgren Prize. “The Mandelgren Prize should be reminiscent of the artist and folklore researcher Nils Månsson Mandelgren’s (1813–1899) pioneering documentation of historical and archaeological images, objects and environments, astonishing in quality and scope. Nils Månsson Mandelgren had a burning interest in cultural history but also in his time and travel all over Sweden to document art, environments, people, and archeological artifacts. The prize has been awarded annually since 2016. The Swedish Antiquities Association’s board decides who will receive the prize. “

Here is a translation of the motivation.
“The Mandelgren Prize in 2021 is awarded to county handicraft consultant Maria Neijman and first antiquarian Amica Sundström for their work in deepening and broadening knowledge about medieval picture and pattern worlds and medieval gilded leather coverlets through documentation and reconstructions. The prize money is SEK 100,000.

Through extensive collection of examples and material and technical analyzes, an understanding is created which is then translated into craftsmanship according to medieval traditions and principles. By reconstructing the coverlets, new knowledge is generated about the material’s functions and limitations, but also insights into what was possible to achieve in terms of craftsmanship during the coverlets time of creation.

Maria Neijman and Amica Sundström have, among other things, within their company Historical Textiles inventoried the gilded leather coverlets inside and outside Sweden and reached new and exciting scientific findings on how the coverlets were used and in many cases also reused.

In collaboration with craft associations and other interested parties, they have recreated both well-known and lesser-known textiles from the Middle Ages, disseminated knowledge about older craft techniques, and produced reconstructions for exhibitions.

With the Mandelgren Prize, the Swedish Antiquities Association wants to draw attention to Maria Neijman and Amica Sundström for their solid historical and material knowledge, for their competence and the high ambition in documentation work, and for their genuine desire to spread knowledge about visual worlds, objects and crafts.”

We are, as you may have already understood, incredibly flattered and happy about the extremely fine award. We would like to thank the Swedish Antiquities Association. It is an honor to belong to the prominent crowd of previous winners of the Mandelgren Prize. We would also like to thank everyone who has been involved in embroidering and helping with the reconstructions of the embroideries. Without you it would not have been possible! 

What are we going to do with the prize money? When it is possible to travel again, we will of course travel to New York and analyze the remaining embroidery. And we will celebrate together with everyone who has participated in the reconstruction work. 
/ Amica and Maria