This issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter was not planned around a theme, but the one that emerged was legacy — the recognition of weavers through research, preservation and the wonders of sharing images and information via modern technology.
Lill-Karin Elvestad describes a project to capture the history and culture of Troms County in northern Norway through the registration of historical clothing. The project leader, Lillian Magnussen, said that for research into cultural history and handcraft, “seeing these items can as valuable as gold.” Read “Old Clothing Tells our Story.”
Elvestad discovered a personal connection while writing about the “Clothing in Troms” project. She wrote a moving essay about her great-great-grandmother, a masterful weaver at a young age. Would her life have been different today? Read “A Tribute to Ane Marie Aleksandersdatter (1847-1906).”
A 1962 article by Astrid Bugge is provided in translation, “A Bit about the Transparent Portieres of Frida Hansen.” Since the article was first published, photos of many of the transparent tapestries mentioned in the article have been digitized and are available to view on museum websites. More readers can enjoy the legacy of Hansen’s work.
In “You can Count on Wool,” Sølvi Westvang Skirbekk uses clothing and textile tools in the Anno Glomdalsmuseet museum collection to discuss the historical importance of wool and how it fits into current concepts of sustainability. She muses about the legacy of today’s profusion of fibers and clothing excess. “Perhaps the largest paradox will be that the future’s museums reveal few traces of today’s intense overconsumption?”
Minnesotan Nancy Gossell discovered boxes of beautiful linens woven by her Swedish grandmother and devised a creative solution to passing on that legacy to her family. Read “Full Circle: A Return to Sweden to Repurpose Family Heirlooms.”
A beautiful type of monk’s belt weaving from Skåne in Sweden is described in a translated section from the online Hemslöjds Guiden [Handcraft Guide] published by the Föreningen Sveriges Hemslöjdskonsulenter [Association of Swedish Handcraft Consultants]. Perhaps contemporary weavers will be inspired to make a flower-filled weaving? Read “Swedish Munkabälte.”
Rya rugs date from medieval times and have been used by mariners against the frigid cold at sea; in carriages; as bedding; and as a signature of the mid-century Scandinavian modern era. Here they are used for social comment…they are coming of age. Read “Rya Rugs…Coming of Age: An Exhibit of Work by Elizabeth Hunter.”
Kristina Austi: Dialogue between the Ancient and the Digital. A contemporary Norwegian artist marries the deep legacy of weaving and the power of folk tales on a high-tech jacquard loom.
Please enjoy these articles, along with the usual “Nordic News and Notes” column. Let me know your thoughts or ideas for future topics. God påske — Happy Easter! Robbie LaFleur
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