by Martine Benot-Teunissen, costume historian, 14 June 2024
I am proud to announce the publication of a book about recent archaeological textile finds in the Netherlands: Textiel uit Hollandse bodem. Archeologische vondsten uit de 17de en 18de eeuw ('Textiles from Dutch soil. Archaeological finds from the 17th and 18th century'). The book can be ordered here. Last week I was very happy to present a copy of the book to Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director of the TRC.
The initial plans for this book were developed following the rediscovery of a large number of textiles that were excavated in the 1980s at the Waterlooplein (Vlooienburg), in Amsterdam. Some of these textiles were not yet properly identified and registered, and as a result remained unknown to the general public. It soon became clear that there were more textile treasures housed elsewhere in other depots!
Together with archaeologist Marijn Stolk we embarked upon a project to unlock and investigate archaeological textiles from the seventeenth and eighteenth century which are housed in various depots. This project has now resulted in a beautifully illustrated publication.
Martine Benot-Teunissen (right) presents the new book about archaeological textiles from the Netherlands to TRC Director, Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood (left). Monday 10th June, 2024. As part of the project, many textile specialists were asked for help and to give advice, and this collaboration has produced many wonderful exchanges and new insights.
The TRC and Dr. Gillian Vogelsang played an important role. Gillian's knowledge and the TRC's reference collection were particularly useful when analysing the velvet pieces from among the finds.
The TRC's collection of 17th and 18th century velvets was an indispensable help in our research (for a TRC online exhibition on velvets from the TRC Collection, click here).
The TRC pieces can often be viewed and studied in greater detail than the, sometimes partly decayed and fragile archaeological finds housed in other institutes.
Various types of velvet were produced in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th century, such as kaffa, panne (or mirrored velvet), plush, ciselé velvet, embroidery velvet, figured velvet and double-sided velvet. The TRC houses 29 different types of velvet, including those mentioned before, and also examples from a later date.
Fig. 1.Find JO-4-4 of a ciselé velvet with satin ground, Jodenbreestraat Amsterdam, 1575-1650. Photograph: Martine Benot-TeunissenStandard velvet consists of a basic fabric, on which loops (the pile) are woven that are then cut (or not). Sometimes the pile is crushed, raised again, cut to different heights, or interspersed with open areas. The ground (usually a standard plain or satin weave), can be recognized in open (voided) areas.
A satin weave gives more shine. The effect is achieved by four or more weft threads going over one warp and four warp threads going over one weft thread. It looks a bit elongated in a close-up. Kaffa is the crème de la crème of velvet. It is a figured velvet made of gummed silk, with a cut and uncut pile and worn by the 17th century elite as a winter cloth.
Voided velvet, with cut and uncut pile (ciselé) (TRC 2011.0368).
Basic velvet has a relatively short pile, while panne has a longer pile, and plush is an even more luxurious version, with an even longer pile. In cicelé velvet, the pattern is formed by cut and uncut loops, with the cut pile being higher than the uncut pile areas. You can also see, for example, the use of uncut pile on a bath towel.
Examples of velvet from the reference collection of the TRC in Leiden. Photo: Martine Benot-Teunissen.
I took a velvet weaving course at the TRC, which gave a fantastic insight into how cut and uncut piles are created. During this course we learned to identify velvet and make it ourselves. The impressive TRC reference collection was also presented here. Click here if you want to know more about the velvet weaving workshop and the reference collection of the TRC. The next study day about velvet is planned for 8 November 2024.
Wall covering of 18th century shaved velvet from the Paul Tetar van Elven museum. Photograph: Martine Benot-Teunissen.Crushed velvet
With crushed velvet, the pile is pushed in a certain direction by exercising heavy pressure (for example, with a press or hot metal roller). I recently visited the house and museum of the 19th century art collector Paul Tetar van Elven, in Delft.
In the dining room there was a wall covering of 18th century shaved velvet, in which you could see that the pattern had been pressed, the piles around the crushed part were then shaved, followed by the hairs of the crushed pattern being combed back up, in order to create distinct height differences in the pile.
Thanks to the velvet course at the TRC, I was able to recognise this working method and appreciate it even more.
I also led a reconstruction project together with various volunteers, in which we tried to discover various methods of producing textiles that are comparable with (our) some archaeological finds.
Researching and replicating card weaving bands was one of the subjects. The simplest card weaving band that we identified from the archaeological finds was a single row of V's.
One of the finds that Gillian helped identify: a cuff or sleeve end of ciselé velvet with cut and uncut piles of different heights, on a satin ground. JO-4-3, Jodenbreestraat Amsterdam, 1575-1650. Photograph: Martine Benot-Teunissen.
For more information I refer to Textiel uit Hollandse bodem. Archeologische vondsten uit de 17de en 18de eeuw. Thanks again to the TRC, I met Mirja Wark, from Golden Haand, during the velvet weaving course. She has woven a specific fabric that can also be found in the chapter on reconstructions in the book.
On the find JO-4-3, you see what appears to be a sewn-on strap. When enlarged, this is indeed a simple card weaving tape with a typical V-shape.
