This blog post is taking way longer to write than I intended. Sorry, I fell down a rabbit hole. And then another one :). I will find myself in both holes in the state library in Munich on Friday. What happened? As always, I think I have seen the same embroidery before, but when I look into it more deeply, things turn out not to be as similar as I thought. When we looked at Read more
Last week, Sabine Ullrich, curator of the Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg, invited me to view a chasuble cross in storage. To my delight, Sabine came up with a few additional pieces for me to study. While there are currently no medieval embroideries on display in the museum, textile enthusiasts should visit as there are beautiful late-medieval and 16th-century tapestries on permanent display. The original chasuble cross I came for belongs to a group of German goldwork embroideries that depict the life of Read more
Professional embroidery is very different from hobby embroidery. Sometimes, hobbyists remark that the back of my embroidery isn’t very neat. For some, a neat back is the hallmark of excellent embroidery. It makes sense to have a neat back when the embroidery can be viewed from both sides. But when that’s not the case, there is no need for an overly neat back. Medieval embroiderers knew that. As they were professional embroiderers trying to make Read more
When I reviewed the ‘Art of Gold Embroidery‘ a few weeks ago, the book’s biggest drawback is that it is mainly written in Uzbek and Russian, languages most of us are unfamiliar with. It also seems to be impossible to get hold of. Several people asked me if ‘The art of gold embroidery in Uzbekistan‘ by Suzanne Pennell would be a good alternative. As this was also the primary source used by Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood Read more
Let’s delve into the fascinating world of a unique embroidery crafted around AD 1500 in the Middle Rhine Area. This medieval embroidery masterpiece, housed at the Dommuseum Mainz, is a testament to local artistry. Its iconography is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s reminiscent of the whimsical art photographs by Anne Geddes, but instead of babies nestled in foliage, we have the figures of the Crucifixion and an Apostle :). As you can see from the above picture, the embroidered Read more
We were presented with a captivating book on Uzbek Gold Embroidery at the start of the International Festival of Gold Embroidery in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. As it is only partly written in (poor) English, I thought it a good idea to write a book review. The book consists of chapters on the rich history of gold embroidery, the vibrant community of gold embroiderers in Bukhara, materials, tools, techniques, and a catalogue of both historic and contemporary masterpieces – Read more
On Tuesday, I arrived back home from my amazing trip to the International Festival of Gold Embroidery in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Although I am an experienced traveller, with places like Libya under my belt, I have never experienced anything like this. The people were warm, open and very interested in my craft. Some festival visitors had been gold embroiderers themselves or had close relatives who were gold embroiderers. As gold embroidery is still very much visible in Bukhara, Read more
After a successful week of teaching for Creative Experiences in Les Carroz, France, I decided to drive a further 330 km to visit Le Puy-en-Velay. The Cathedral Treasury houses the Cougard-Fruman textile collection. Judging from the catalogue, the collection comprises around 180 pieces. Most of it is liturgical textiles. And a few pieces are medieval goldwork embroidery. The museum is well worth a visit. And even a repeat visit as the pieces on display rotate. The town Read more
Before I share my thoughts on the catalogue “Fashion for God”, accompanying the latest textile exhibition at Museum Catharijneconvent, I have some lovely announcements. Firstly, I have been re-invited to join the International Festival of Goldwork and Jewelery in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Two years ago, I sadly couldn’t honour the invitation as I was very sick with Covid. So, fingers crossed that I stay healthy this time! Secondly, I have been notified by the Royal Dutch National Library that they Read more
My embroidered recreation of the ‘Angel Choir’ is finished. It is based on a chasuble cross fragment kept at the Bayerische Nationalmuseum in Munich. The fragment is part of a much larger group of embroideries showing the life of Mary and Jesus. There is evidence that these mass-produced embroideries were made with the help of printing blocks. The design drawings were printed onto the embroidery linen. They prove that some embroiderers immediately incorporated the newest technology (printing) Read more