In Italy there is a privat collection of medieval textiles. In this collection one can find a linen coif from 1470-1540. It’s beyond cool and we have written about it before, here you can find that.
We just wanna lift the fact the the tie bands and not made from fabric but from braided linen threads, and then attached to the coif. It’s started with a knot on the braid.
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/ Amica and Maria
Today’s post is about dyes. Or in fact dyed wool fabrics that are from the beginning of the 14th century and STILL in great condition. Check out thees seal bags, protective bags in fabric for wax seals on legal documents, written 700 years ago.
They have been stored in archives from when they were written until today. And they are dated on the exact day they were created and is by far the best source we have come across when it comes to textiles.
Now in the collections of The Swedish National Archives.
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/Amica and Maria
Spangles or sequins? This sudarium is believed to be a Vadstena work. Vadstena convent was founded by S:t Bridget. The convent is known, among other things, for its fine textile work, and many that were produced there in the Middle Ages are still in existence. This sudarium is one of two existing in Sweden from the Middle ages.
It’s not easy to see what the motif is supposed to show, but it resembles a helmet ornament.
The small pearls are very small and we don’t understand how someone have been able to make a hole though them. And we don’t know of we should call the metal decorations for spangles or sequins… Help!
The sudarium is dated the the first quarter of the 16th century.
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
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Recycling. Perhaps the most obvious within the life cycle of a historical textile. Made, worn, mended, remade and used til all was gone…. And here we have a great example. A chasuble.
The embroidery of Jesus was probably made during the 17th century on a gold and silk relief velvet fabric from the 15th century. To consider during the 17th century that a then 200-year-old fabric was perfectly acceptable as a basis for the embroidery, is an attitude that is quite far from today’s ideas. We are both shocked by it, but also know that’s the use of such habits probably is the reason why they are still around… Ney but yay, in a way…
The velvet was probably already quite worn in the 17th century but didn’t stop the creator. We love the fact that Christ’s two legs are a recycled linen table cloth or a towel, a very rare kind from this time. Enlarge the picture for full visibility!
Dated 1350-1699
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
Another day another dutch embroidery, this time a shield for a cope. From Grödinge church, Sweden. With checkred floor and surprised animals. Silk in satin stitch and couched gold thread. Background in plain weave linen, that can be seen where the embroidery have been damaged. .
We cannot understand how in the world they managed to dye such a wonderful orange and teal.
Dated 1450-1500.
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
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The third day of December we would like to a possibly Dutch work. It’s a chasuble from Jälluntofta, Sweden, in relief velvet with gold thread and slik embroidery in couched and split stitch. The saints standing on checkered floors. That is quite common in embroideries from the 15th century.
We love the woven band with the fringe. It could be either woven with a rigid heddle or tablets. The warp is a 2-plied silk thread.
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
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The second day of December we turn our heads to around 1325 and a lovely fragment. It’s a gold thread and slik embroidery in couched and satin/ brick stitch, two shields, one on each side of a helmet with helmet ornaments, on top of a black damask silk. The embroidery have faded over time but was originally probably strong yellow and blue.
We love the quirky feather plume on the top of the helmet.
The fragment was found 1910 in Strängsnäs cathedral when a bricked up window was restored.
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
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December is here and this year we would like to show some of our personal favorites amongst the historical textiles we have come across during the last year.
The first one is a lovely embroidery from Piteå church. It depicts Virgin Mary/ Maria and we really love her cheeky look and her nose. It’s an Italian work from the late 13th century. Silk and embroidery on taffeta. Split stitch and couched work. High quality work!
Now in the collections of The Swedish History museum.
More pictures here
/ Amica and Maria
Wanna learn something new? Have you ever tried plant dyeing? Then maybe our plant dyeing kits might be something for you? Red with madder, pink with cochineal or yellow and green with weld.
Check this link out!
Since I had the advantage of being able to take part in not just one but TWO brigandines in the collections at the Livrustkammare, I feel that it would be wrong to withhold you the second, when the first one seemed to be so appreciated.
This brigandine is a supposed to be a war booty from Warsaw 1655-08-30 when the Swedes brought a number of booty home to Sweden. It’s dated to the 16th century. The brigandine consists of a very vivid deep red silk velvet and on the inside there are a large number of overlapping steel plates riveted to the velvet. The plates are small and thin, ca. 3 x 2 cm. They are homogeneous and finely worked. There are also traces of a linen fabric between the velvet and the metal. The rivets that join the plates together are round-headed brass rivets. The brigandine ends at the bottom with cut tabs. The flaps have raw edges and are very coarsely sewn, with what appears to be a yellowish silk thread. The closing device has been on the side of the garment, but this is now missing. The front piece measures in length 64 cm and in width 81 cm.
I only had the opportunity to see the front of the brigandine, the back part was in another box. But since there are pictures taken on this for the database, I have chosen to also include these. Sometimes it turns out that the older pictures can tell that an object has changed a bit over time, even since it was first photographed.
The brigandine deserves a more thorough review later on and there is every reason to return to it. Feel free to collect your questions here in the comments so I can look at it on occasion.
Link to the front in the database and link to the back
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/ Maria
