Boerhaavelaan 6 LeidenThis coming weekend, 13-14 September, we would like to welcome you to Boerhaavelaan 6, Leiden, a townhouse dating from the early 20th century, as part of Heritage Open Day. With the support of Monumentenbezit and the Municipality of Leiden, the TRC hopes to move into this fantastic building very soon.

We expect to sign the lease within a few months and then move from Hogewoerd to this beautiful building, just behind the Leiden railway station. The TRC has received the keys to the building, so you can come and take a look inside this historic townhouse this weekend.

We are open on Saturday, 13 September, from 12:00 to 17:00, and on Sunday, 14 September, from 10:00 to 17:00. See you soon!

More information about Boerhaavelaan 6 and Heritage Open Day can be found here.

Testing natural dyes. Photograph by author.I attended the five-day TRC Intensive Textile Course, 25-29 August 2025. Below I will describe what we did and what we learnt, and how much I enjoyed the course.

Day 1 was spent looking at and identifying fibres. It was also spent getting to know the amazing people who participated and organised the course, along with taking a quick tour of the TRC. This was an extra special time to look around, as plans for the TRC to move to other, and larger premises were being finalised. It was exciting to get a glimpse into the work being put into moving the collection of more than 51,000 objects from one location to another.

Fibre identification was a great first day activity. It is the most basic part of what makes up a textile, so logically it made sense to start with that, but it was also a great ice breaker. There was a lot of socialising while collecting our fibre samples, as well as a lot of learning, and a group favourite was identification through burning small samples of cotton, flax, silk, wool, and even eyebrow hairs!

The TRC is closed to the public until further notice due to big changes and an intended move to other premises. The TRC remains in contact via the web and emails, and is open for organised events and workshops.

Fig. 1. Woven mat (losa), made from reed or bark, from the Mbola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, late 20th century (TRC 2025.1290).Over the last year or so, Marjolijn van Scherpenzeel (Hartendief, Leiden), has given us a large quantity of textiles, mainly from Central Africa, Thailand and Laos, as well as various religious garments and embroideries from Western Europe.

Marjolijn has just given us some more pieces that we are gradually sorting out. Among the donation are some woven panels of a type I have never seen before. They are about 50 x 35 cm in size and are made from reed or strips of bark, stained black, white, red and yellow.

The pieces are now in the TRC Collection (TRC 2025.1284 to TRC 2025.1325) and are decorated with a variety of woven, geometric patterns. The mats or losa are made by Mbole women who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaire). They belong to the Mongo people and live in the equatorial forests in northeastern Congo.

Fig. 2. Woven mat (losa), made from reed or bark, from the Mbola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, late 20th ntury (TRC 2025.1321).These mats are not woven on a loom, but rather in the hand in a similar manner to a basket, with weft threads that are individually threaded using a twill weave (including 3/1 and 4/1 twill forms) into the required pattern.

The geometric patterns are apparently based on kengo or body tattoo patterns, known in general as itoko and come with a variety of names, such as bilik (bricks; Fig. 1. TRC 2025.1290), eleko (feather; Fig. 2. TRC 2025.1321), kitiwala (bed, TRC 2025.1294) and koi (leopard or leaping power of the leopard; TRC 2025.1324 and TRC 2025.1325).

We are planning a small exhibition about these pieces that will take place once we have moved into the new TRC home later this year!

Gillian Vogelsang, 7 September 2025

Sources

• Bral, Jan (Ed.) (1984), Mongo Cultuur, Gemeentekrediet, Sint-Niklaas.
• Mabiala Mantuba-Ngoma, Mabiala (1989). Losa, Flechtwerke der Mbole, Verlag Fred Jahn,, München).

• Gerdes, Paulus, Twill plaited mats from the Mbole - Mongo in Northeastern Congo.

Augusta de Gunzbourg (r) and Gillian Vogelsang (l) proudly showing the keys to Boerhaavelaan 6 (Leiden), the planned new home of the TRC.Well, there we are: This morning we received the keys to the urban villa in Leiden where, we hope, the TRC will continue its activities, before the end of the year. The house is owned by Monumentenbezit, a national organisation that manages a wide series of monumental buildings in the Netherlands, including churches and castles. A few weeks ago it also became the owner of this lovely building in the centre of Leiden, just behind the central railway station, namely Boerhaavelaan 6.

We have not yet signed the final rental contract, but we already can show people around who will help us with moving as well as interior work such as cleaning, painting, carpets, etc. We will also be helping to prepare the building for visitors during Monumenten Weekend, 13-14 September, when we hope to welcome anyone interested in the building itself and in the plans of the TRC.

The house was designed by the famous Leiden architect, Hendrik Jesse, and dates from 1909. For long it was the family home of Prof. Ton Barge (1884-1952), a former chancellor of Leiden University (1937-1938) and member of the Eerste Kamer (Senate) from 1937-1949, as well as an outspoken opponent of national-socialistic influences at the University. A plaque attached to the house commemorates his protest speech on 26 September 1940 against the racial theories of the Nazis and the dismissal from Leiden University of Jewish colleagues.

We shortly hope to provide more information about the house, Monumenten Weekend, and the plans of the TRC, but in the meantime, perhaps we can welcome you on Saturday 13 September, 12.00 – 17.00, or on Sunday 14 September, 10.00 – 17.00?

Gillian Vogelsang, 3 September 2025

In Qing society, garment decoration, such as embroidered and woven motifs, were often embedded with meaning, signalling the wearer’s values, identity, and their social and political status. The upper classes were familiar with and able to both convey and read the iconography of embroidery and woven decoration that adorned their garments and accessories.

Fig. 1. A woven rank panel with the design of a bird (crane) facing towards a red sun. China, 19th century (TRC 2016.2363).

The meaning of the decoration was determined by the subject matter or motifs depicted, and the layout or framework in which the motifs were placed. The placement of the imagery on the garment, together with its content, signify how the motifs are to be interpreted. Compositions in the Qing dynasty can be categorised into four styles: bordered, dispersed, consolidated, and integrated.

Because of the significant changes going on at the TRC, including a move to larger premises (more about that later), the TRC had to postpone a number of workshops and study days that were planned for the next few months. We hope you understand. Upcoming events are the following. Please register in advance at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

• Wed. 1 Oct: Workshop: Needlebinding
• Wed 15 Oct: Workshop Irish crochet lace
• 27-31 Oct: TRC Intensive Textile Course
• Sat 8 Nov: Study day: Khayamiya appliqués from Cairo
• Wed 12 Nov: Workshop Orenburg knitted lace

In a previous blog we talked about the big upcoming changes at the TRC, including a move to larger premises. Moving, renovating and refurbishing the ‘new’ TRC building are not going to be cheap. We estimate it will cost about 250,000 euros to do everything we want to do, including the removal itself (with an estimated 3,000 collection boxes and 400 library boxes).

So we are now looking for funding for various, immediate needs connected to the building, including a new kitchen (15,000 euros), workshop space for natural dyes (5,000 euros), exhibition equipment and showcases (10,000 euros), a basic textile laboratory (15,000 euros), a new computer system (25,000 euros), even a new annex for the TRC Library (75,000 euros).

The good news is that we have an initial 120,000 euros from a patron to cover the basic costs. Last week we received another 20,000 euros. But as you will understand, the more ‘outside’ funding we can raise the better.

Any help you can give towards these and other ‘projects’ would be greatly appreciated. It does not matter whether it 5 euros or 5,000 euros, everything will help!

Donations can be made directly to the TRC account NL39 INGB 000 298 2359 or by pressing the ideal button. The TRC is a Culturele ANBI so donations are tax deductible for Dutch tax payers (up to 125% for individuals, and up to 150% for commercial companies), and some European tax payers. For more information, click here

International donations can be made by bank transfer using the following details: Bank account number (IBAN) NL39 INGB 000 298 2359, in the name of the Stichting Textile Research Centre. The BIC code is: INGBNL2A.

American tax payers can donate via Myriad USA and use Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the IRC for tax-deductible donations to non-profit organisations. More details can be found by pressing this link.

We are planning on having a New Year party to celebrate the move and establishment of the ‘new’ TRC. Everyone will be most welcome and donors will get an extra glass of champagne and a guided tour of the building!