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While increasingly well-known for innovative fashion design, Africa is usually not the first place that comes to mind for embroidery. In fact, some researchers talk about an African “embroidery belt”—a narrow area in the approximate middle of the continent, running from the west coast to the east, where embroidery is practiced.

Participants of the study day on sub-Saharan embroidery look at a pictorial panel produced by the Sabane Kabuye workshop in Rwanda (TRC 2021.0500a). Photograph by Augusta de Gunzbourg.

The participants in the TRC’s first study day on sub-Saharan embroidery now know differently. Many styles of embroidery can be found throughout the continent, with some 93 different stitches and stitch combinations identified—including some 15 stitches that have not been seen outside of the continent.

Photograph taken in Leiden by A. Koorenhoff, Leiden, of a woman in Rijnland dress, ca. 1880, We are currently researching a mini-exhibition about Rijnland lace caps that were mainly worn in the region between Gouda and Katwijk-aan-Zee, including Leiden and the region around the city, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These caps come in a variety of forms, depending on whether the wearer was going to church, was in mourning, wealthy or not (such as a farm labourer or a merchant’s wife).

In addition, we want to look at the various techniques used to decorate these caps, including bobbin lace, hand embroidered tulle (net), machine made forms and indeed the various types of designs associated with Rijnland caps.

We are also looking for examples of caps, the relevant jewellery (especially oorijzers), and for old illustrations and photographs of women wearing this type of headwear. In addition, we are looking for the stories behind the caps! Who wore them, when, why, what did the women think about these caps, why did they stop wearing them? In fact any details, small or large. If you have any information or indeed examples you are willing to donate to the TRC Leiden, please let me know at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.

Gillian Vogelsang, 1 August 2021

One of the panels of the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry (2012-2014), showing the cistern in Veere, Zeeland, built for the Scottish wool traders in AD 1551.In TRC Needles, our online encyclopedia of needlework, you will find a brief entry on the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, a commemorative embroidery first shown to the public in Prestonpans, Scotland, in May 2014. It tells about the emigration of Scottish people throughout the centuries. The embroidery also includes scenes that reflect Scottish links with a small town in Zeeland, in the southwest of the Netherlands, called Veere.

Last weekend, when Gillian and I had gone on another textile trip, we visited Veere, along the northern shores of the former island of Walcheren.

Not everyone has seen the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, and therefore not many may know that there was a fairly large Scottish community in Veere for hundreds of years. Many of them were involved in the wool and fleece trade. By the mid-16th century, there were some 400 Scots among about 3500 locals. They had their own laws, church, and cemetery.

Woman's apron from Lindhorst, Lower Saxony, Germany, 20th century (TRC 2016.0823).Over the years we have slowly been building up the TRC’s collection of Scandinavian and West European textiles and clothing, including Dutch regional dress. In particular, we were helped by a very generous donation of over 1700 items by Magdalena Kircher in 2016. Since then we have been adding more and more photographs and details about these objects, plus welcoming new objects.

As part of our co-operation with Prof. Bärbel Schmidt, of the Textile Department at Osnabrück University, Germany, we had plans to invite various groups of students to come to Leiden to help catalogue the German collection and for the students to be inspired in their own work and study by being physically able to handle the items. However, because of the corona crisis the students have not been able to come to Leiden. How to get around this situation? We have just had some good news!

Last week Julie Kuperus kindly gave the TRC Leiden various pieces of a large length of cloth that were stitched and pinned together (TRC 2021.2225). She bought the cloth in about 1978 in the Cross River State in southern Nigeria.

Detail of a shrine cloth from southern Nigeria, c. 1978 (TRC 2021.2225).

The TRC Collection includes textile and sewing tools and equipment such as needles, pins and pin cushions (see a previous blog), as well as scissors and shears. In addition we have a small collection of thimbles of various types, literally from minute silver forms to leather and metal palm versions used by sail makers.

Kaga yubinuki, Japan, c. 2020 (TRC 2021.1770a).Not long ago we were given some beautiful and unusual thimbles, namely silk wrapped forms from Japan (TRC 2021.1769a, TRC 2021.1770a, TRC 2021.1771a, TRC 2021.1772a, TRC 2021.1773a). These are called Kaga yubinuki and are related to kagari temari, the well-known Japanese wrapped balls, of which the TRC has several in its collection (TRC 2021.1262, TRC 2021.1263, TRC 2021.1264, TRC 2021.1265, TRC 2021. 1266).

Detail of 1980s leather and painted cushion cover from Mali (TRC 2021.2115).A few weeks ago I was muttering that at the TRC we did not have a good, representative collection of African textiles and dress, but within days we were offered various African items from several different sources! They range from a Nigerian ‘house of the dead’ (an appliqué panel), to a small container from the San people in southern Africa.

Many of these objects were donated by the family of Willem and Grace Bakker, who travelled widely in Africa, the Middle East (especially Egypt), Central Asia (including Afghanistan) and Asia (notably Indonesia).

Embroidered panel from Rwanda, ca. 2018 (TRC 2021.2052).The last two weeks have been a very busy and slightly surreal time at the TRC, as we have re-opened to the public! More and more visitors are coming to see the Buteh to Paisley exhibition, workshops and guided tours are taking place, as well as the 5-day intensive textile course, with participants from France, the Netherlands as well as Sweden - Lena’s trip from Scandinavia was literally organised within a few days, after the rules were changed and it became clear she could come. The intensive textile course will be run again in August, October and November of this year, as well as four times in 2022. The August and October courses are already quickly filling up.

Boxes of textiles, garments and accessories have been arriving from around the globe, including an amazing donation of Japanese garments dating from the 1920’s to the 1970’s by the Noda family. These include garments for festive occasions for boys and girls, wedding items, as well as woollen kimonos, which I had never seen before. Some of these garments will be included in a planned TRC mini-exhibition about Japanese garments, while others will be in the forthcoming TRC exhibition about the history of ikat. We have also had a box of Guatemalan items sent by Charles and Carolyn Knobler in Los Angeles, who have been supporting the TRC by helping us to build up our Central and South American holdings.