No 14
November 2000

Together with Dr. Irmgard Peter, also member of Cieta and former conservator of the Historic museum of Basle, Switzerland, I would like to work on a vocabulary of embroidery stitches. Dr. Peter is one of the authors of "Systematik der Stichformen" , Basel 1968. We could take her systematic as a basis. I am asking all members to help with the translation of the expressions. You will find a first example in the end of this letter. Please send your ideas to my adress.

This letter can be found in internet like all the other ones:

http://www.dplanet.ch/users/wanner/index.html

Anne Wanner-JeanRichard
e-mail: wanner@datacomm.ch

General information:
No 14/ November 2000 / 2

General information

- Colloquium

The following colloquium already took place, but as the program sounds interesting I give here some details. Maybe one of the members knows more about the event and would be so kind to send one or several summaries of the contributions:

Textiles d'Amérique et de France, Québec, 4 au 7 octobre 2000.
Musée de la civilisation
Musée des Urslines de Québec

L'organisation de ce colloque est une première au Québec car cette thématique n'a jamais été traitée auparavant de manière spécifique dans le cadre d'un colloque scientifique.
Au cours de ce colloque, les textiles seront étudiés sous plusieurs aspects: leur production, leur confection, leur composition à la fois technique et iconographique, leur usage, leur mode de conservation et de collectionnement, le défi de leur restauration, de leur mise en valeur et de leur diffusion.
Le Projet a bénéficié du soutien financier du Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, du Celat, du département d'histoire et de la faculté des lettres de l'Université Laval.

De la manufacture à l'atelier de broderie
- Sandrine Bachelier, Etudiante au doctorat en histoire de l'art, Université Lumière-Lyon 2
- Florence Valentin, archiviste et étudiante au doctorat en art et archéologie, Paris
- Josiane Pagnon, conservatrice des antiquités et objets d'art de la Manche
- Christine Turgeon, directrice du Musée des Ursulines de Québec
- Christine Aribaud, Maître de conférence, Université Toulouse LeMirail

Collections textiles et culture populaire
- Louise Lalonger, restauratrice, Centre de Conservation du Quebéc
- Marie Durand, ethnologue, enseignante au Collège de Limoilou
- Nathalie Hamel, ethnologue, étudiante au doctorat, Université Laval
- Claudette Joannis, conservateur en chef du Patrimoine, Château de Malmaison
- Clémence Chevreau, attachée de conservation au Musée des Beaux-arts et de la dentelle de Calais

Table ronde. Discussion animée par Michel Lessard, ethno-historien, Université du Québec à Montréal

Visites aux collections textiles de plusieurs musées de Québec et de Montréal.

Thessy Schoenholzer Nichols, member of our group, will be teaching 16 lessons of embroidery stitches in march 2001, at Fondazione Arte Della Seta Lisio, via Benedetto Fortini 143, 50125 Firenze, Italy

- Textilmuseum, Vadianstrasse 2, CH 9000 St. Gallen,
shows in the staircase: 17th October - 25th November 2000:
Verwebte Farben, works of textile arts by: Susanne Studer, Brigitta Lenggenhager, Catherine Labhart, Ursula Berchtold

- Textilmuseum, Vadianstrasse 2, CH 9000 St. Gallen
shows in the small exhibition room on the first floor: Frauenarbeiten

chalice veils
No 14/ November 2000 / 3,4

Questions about chalice veils:
it is always possible to answer any questions

- the first question (asked the first time in Newsletter No 11)
If you have chalice veils in your collection, please write to the Newsletter how many altogether,
the techniques and the places of origin

- the 2nd question: (asked the first time in Newsletter No 12)
there seem to be very few pieces with a date embroidered.
Could you send some information, maybe photographs, of the chalice veils with dates?

- the 3rd question: (asked the first time in Newsletter No 13)
Please send to the Newsletter information about special literature on chalice veils

- Christine Aribaud, Soieries en Sacristie, Fastes liturgiques, 17e – 18e c., Paris 1998,
ISBN 2-85056-337-4
- Linus Birchler, Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Zug, vol. 2, Basel 1959, p. 107
- Connoisseur October 1962 (vol. CLI, no 608)p. 100): The chalice veil (Burrell 29/9)
- Millard, O.S.B., Dom Bede, Ecclesiastical Textiles, in: catalogue Pugin exhibition, London 1994, p. 206
- Margaret Swain, Scottish Embroidery, Batsford 1986
- Margaret Swain, Vestments at Traquair, in: Bulletin du CIETA, No. 72, 1944, pp. 48-59
- Tresors du musee d'art religieux et mosan de Liege, exposition au musee du petit palais de la ville de Paris, du 16 octobre 1981 - 3 janvier 1982.
- Wanner, Anne, Zur Restaurierung von alten Stoffen, in: 100 Jahre Historisches Museum Zug, 1979, Hg. Zuger Kunstgesellschaft, S. 30 - 38
- Fritz Witte, die liturgischen Gewänder und kirchlichen Stickereien des Schnütgenmuseums in Köln, Berlin 1926, Taf. 65, 66

articles by Robert, Ludwig Suter on chalice veils:

- Scholastica An der Allmend, eine Luzerner Paramentenstickerin der Barockzeit, in: ZAK, Bd. 25, Heft 3, 1968
- Johanna Baptista Herzog von Beromünster, eine Paramentenkünstlerin im
Kloster Gnadenthal, in: Heimatkunde des Michelsamtes, Geschichtsverein Beromünster, 1982
- Barocke Paramentenstickkunst im Kloster Hermetschwil, in: unsere Heimat,
Jahresschrift der Historischen Gesellschaft Freiamt, 57. Jahrgang 1987
- Abundantia von Reding, eine Schwyzer Paramentenstickerin der Barockzeit, in: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz, Heft 79, 1987
- Kunigunde von Fleckenstein 1651-1707, eine Luzerner Blumenmalerin mit
der Nadel, in: Jahrbuch der Historischen Gesellschaft Luzern, Nr. 6, Luzern 1988
- Sakrale Weissstickereien in Beromünster, in: Schweizerische
Arbeitslehrerinnen-Zeitung, Nr. 4, 1988

(Information by Liz Arthur, Costume & Textile consultant)

The chalice veil (Burrell 29/9) war purchased by Burrell in 1932 and may be from the Sotheby sale of 11 December 1931. It is of linen with silk and metal thread in satin stem stitches and couching, 43 x 45cm. The inscription reads "Elisabetha Dei Gratia Anglia Francie et Hibernie Regina Fidei Defensatrix Dieu et mon Droit." Between the lines are globes and ostrich feathers. In the centre are the Royal Arms with three leopards and three fleurs-de-lys. It seems very likely that this was used in a royal chapel.

No 204, - voile de calice, 1640, 51 x 54 cm. Satin pourpre brodé d'or: fil lisse, cordonnet, cannetille et paillettes. Travail au couché, guipé et gaufré. Rehauts de perles. Autour d'un soleil rayonnant avec IHS entre la croix et un coeur percé de trois clous et la date 1640, décor stylisé et symétrique de motifs végétaux et d'oiseaux. Frise florale en bordure interrompue par des vases fleuris. Fine dentelle d'or sur le pourtour.

chalice veils
No 14/ November 2000 / 5,6

The Chalice veils in the collection of the Historic Museum of Zug, Switzerland (sent by A. Claude)

The Chalice veils in the collection of the Rätisches Museum, Chur, Switzerland (sent by R. Hahn)

Eremitage, St.Peterburg
No 14/ November 2000 / 7

Altarfrontal, Triptych, 16^th c., Italy
Collection of Eremitage Museum
St. Peterburg, Russia

Conservator of embroideries
Dr. Tatiana Kossourova

The design is very professional and it was probably made by a painter of 16^th c. Italy, maybe del Garbo, pupil of Botticelli. Three pictural scenes are framed by scrolls and flowers. The first scene shows the Annunciation, the second scene the Nativity and the third scene the Adoration of the Magi.

State Museum of the History of Religion
No 14/ November 2000 / 8

State Museum of the History of Religion
Poctamskaya uliza 14/15, 191186 St.Petersburg
St. Peterburg, Russia

short descriptions of 2 folders by S.N. Pavlov
and N. N. Deeva

Russian embroidery in gold holds an important place in the artistic culture of Russia. It has a primary significance in costume decoration (both for the nobility and in folk costume), in ecclesiastical garments and ceremonial objects. Ornamentation of ceremonial robes traditionally used most expensive materials and most effective techniques.

Among the centres of precious embroidery has long been the town of Torzhok, where the rare art is still practised. The good hands of the town have long been decorating their dresses with glittering design, working in church decoration, ornamenting objects of secular and ecclesiastical culture. The embroiderers of Torzhok have often worked on Royal commission, as for example embroidering a festive dress for Catherine II, or the coronation purple with the coat of arms for Alexander II.

The Russia gold embroidery from Torzhok was a great success at exhibitions in Paris 1907, Turin 1911, New York 1938, Brussels 1958 etc. The finest gold embroideries of Torzhok today give evidence of traditions and the unique experience of the past, along with experiments in new materials and techniques, to reflect the thinking and imagery of the 20th century.

embroidery on velvet, in gold and silver

cover, late 17th cent.
silk embroidery in gold and silver
fragment, 17th cent., 49 x 91 cm

Icon "Trinity", early 20th cent., Moscow,
embroidered on canvas in guilt silver thread,
metal band, spangles, 27 x 22 cm

Dresdner Spitzen - Point de Saxe
No 14/ November 2000 / 9

Dresdner Spitzen - Point de Saxe
Virtuose Weissstickereien des 18. Jahrhunderts
By Ruth Bleckwenn, Dresden 2000

247 pages, 82 bw photographs, 9 colour photos, catalogue with 124 Nrs and picture bw
ISBN 3-932264-20-7

Aristocratic attire, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
No 14/ November 2000 / 10

Aristocratic attire
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 2000
By. B.M. du Mortier
Illustrated in colour and black and white
Bibliography

In dutch: Regenten gekleed

The exhibition, entitled: Regents in costume/Regenten in de kleren, is in the Costume and Textiles Gallery in the South Wing of the Rijksmuseum. It will be on view until 11 March 2001.

The Lost Arts of Europe
No 14/ November 2000 / 11

Exhibition and catalogue:

The Lost Arts of Europe
The Haslemere Museum collection
of European Peasant Art

A collection of Essasys edited
by David Crowley and Lou Taylor
70 pages, 17 color photos, many black and white pictures
ISBN: 09525947 14 , £ 5.99

Exhibition in: Haslemere Educational Museum April - September

Buratto fabric, extracts from books and inventories
No 14/ November 2000 / 12

Embroideries worked on buratto fabric: 16 cent. - 17 cent.
Extracts from Books and Inventories

Compiled by Karen Finch, London

Including:
- A propos Patterns for Embroidery, Lace and Woven Textiles, by Margaret Abegg, Schriften der Abegg Stiftung. Berne 1978. Switzerland.
Page 54, Illustration No 63: Network or Buratto Border. Italian XVI century. Anonymous gift 1879 to the Metropolitan Museum of new York. The photo appears to show selvedges both sides. No measurements, thread counts or fibre determination.
Page 64, Illustrations Nos 84 and 85: embroidered Net or Buratto Borders. Italian XVI century. Formerly in private collection, New York.
- Caption: Buratto (meaning in Italien sieve, sifter) is
"Linen of the kind called Buratto (from the word bura, coarse linen), which is a stiff transparent material something like canvas, provides a convenient medium for the quick and easy attainment of drawn thread effect. The texture is treated like drawn linen and on the already transparent ground the design is worked in darning or linen Stitch". Elisa Ricci, Italian Lace, Vol l, London Philadelphia, 1913, p 41.
The photos show selvedges on both sides of No 82 and No 85. No measurements, no thread counts, no fibre determination.
Page 107, Illustration No 156: Buratto. Italian XVII century. Gift of Mary Taylor Johnstone, 1908 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The photo appears to show selvedges on both sides of the boder. No measurements or thread counts or fibre determination.
Page 109, Illustration of pattern No 160, of embroidery No 161. ?German. Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The photo appears to show selvedges on both sides of the border.

- Caption: Etched pattern, Sibmacher, Newes Modelbuch in Kupffer Gemacht, Nuremberg 1604. (Lot 38c).
Buratto, detail, probably made from the book above. (German, XVII century ?) as Sibmacher's designs and especially this book of etched patterns had wide circulation on the Continent and in England. Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
No measurements, no thread count or fibre determination.

- Three Hundred Years of Embroidery: 1600 - 1900. Treasures from the Collection of the Embroiderer's Guild of Great Britain. Pauline Johnstone. The Embroiderers' Guild 1987.
Page 17, Illustration No 1: Border. Italian, Late 16/17 century.

- Caption: Embroidered in red silk on the counted threads of a buratto woven ground. The pattern is entirely in backstitch. The top edging consists of small groups of oriental stitch; the lower edge of groups of button-holing with an added plaited red and white cord.
The diagonal motif, which forms the wave pattern, is found in Italian woven silks of the period. Only one side appears to have a selvedge.
Buratto is a gauze-woven fabric in which the spaced weft threads are held apart in a twisted warp.
E.G. 5380. 6.5 x 24 cms. No thread count, no fibre determination.
Page 18, colour photo on page 37. Border, italian, late 16/17 century.

- Caption: Embroidered in coloured silks on a ground of buratto woven linen. The outline of the pattern, which is of the Renaissance wave type, is worked in double running stitch in red silk. Coloured filling patterns (blue, green, yellow, cream, white and pink) are in cross and satin stitches.
The Embroidery appears the same on both faces.
E.G. 3076. 13 x 47 cms. No thread count. Selvedges on both sides.

(to be continued in the next Newsletter Nr. 15)