Journal articles on the topic 'Metal thread embroidery'

Test Results on the Chemical Composition of the Embroidered Veil of the Jagiellonian University Collegium Maius Museum, inv. no. 3846/IVThe article presents test results on the chemical composition of the metal braid around silk thread and sheets used in the embroidery of the Armenian chalice veil stored in the Jagiellonian University Museum. The results show that metal elements were made of high-quality silver sheet.

This paper studies the function of embroidered Buddha images and how and why they were made during the Tang dynasty when embroidery emerged as a major medium for Buddhist art. More specifically, it focuses on how embroidered Buddha images were ordered to be produced and bestowed on by Tang emperors. As surviving embroidery works are rare, written documents and records provide valuable information for the study of this subject. The popularization of embroidered Buddha images in early Tang was headed by the imperial power. Emperor Taizong, and his successor Gaozong each bestowed a large embroidered image to Shengguangsi 勝光寺 and Cí’ensi 慈恩寺, and ordered to perform ceremonies to honor them. Major Buddhist rituals held in the main street of Chang’an at the time also incorporated several embroidered Buddha images. In the first year of Qianfeng era, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, a government Buddhist temple was established in each province. Buddha images embroidered in a specific iconography was distributed to each temple, and they were instrumental in establishing a uniform style of Buddhist art throughout the Tang empire. By early- to mid-seventh century, the Tang dynasty brought most of China under its rule, but was still at war with neighboring states. Consequently, colossal bronze statues that required a considerable amount of metal and men’s labor were hard to make. Embroidery was an adequate substitute as it was a form of craft that mainly relied on female labor. Initiated by the imperial power, the embroidered Buddha images became popularized and reached its pinnacle during the 8th century.

This study identified material properties through scientific analysis on Jikgeumdan(satin with gold threads) from Donggungbi-Wonsam and the gold threads used in the embroidery. The Donggungbi-Wonsam’s base of gold threads were estimated to have used mulberry fiber’s Korean paper(Hanji) because non-wood-based fibers were observed. The X-ray spectrometer showed that the Tongsuseulan of Donggungbi-Wonsam was a flat gold thread of pure gold and Jikgeumdan of flat silver thread of its Saekdong and Hansam. High sulfur levels were detected in the flat silver thread, which appeared to have formed silver sulfide by either manufacturing process using sulfur or conservation environment. he dragon insignia’s embroidery is also described as two types twisted gold threads; pure gold and alloying-gold and silver. while dragon insignia’s border line is decorated with a twisted gold thread of pure gold. In particular, it was investigated that adhesives such as an animal glue, a protein-based compound by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Additionally, XRF and Raman spectroscopy analysis on the mixture substances between the metal surface and the base paper of gold threads identified talc and quartz in the gold threads and Seokganju(hematite) in the flat silver threads.

Abstract. Pasuruan is famous for top products of embroidery that are resulted by Small and Medium Industries. The production of embroidery has widely spread in all districts of Pasuruan Regency, particularly in Bangil District. Embroidery refers to ornaments attached on the clothes or other materials made by needle and thread. It also belongs to one of ornamental craft varieties (clothes accessory) which focuses on the beauty and competition of thread colors on the clothes as the media supported by a set of sewing kits (embroidery sewing machine) or computerized-embroidery sewing machine. The ornament of embroidery can use not only thread but also other materials such as metal pieces, pearls, beads, bird feather, and sequins. Planning and designing Embroider Centre are intended for providing a place of production and marketing upon craft products as well as supporting other activities such as the centre of promotion, information, and cultural education, which later on, it can become a tourism potential which is beneficial for developing the local and economy of Pasuruan society. The use of sustainable architecture theme in designing this building is expected to present a certain character or identity of facility and gallery. Besides, sustainable architecture also emphasizes on the surrounding environment such as conserving energy, working climate, respect for site, respect for user, and holistic. The designing process of building architecture was carried out through a series of stages beginning from project identification, precedent study, design program, design concept, and design development.Keywords: Embroidery, Embroidery Centre, Sustainable Architecture Abstrak. Pasuruan ini memiliki produk IKM yang menjadi produk unggulan yaitu bordir. Produksi bordir tersebar luas di seluruh Kabupaten Pasuruan, terutama di Kecamatan Bangil. Bordir merupakan hiasan diatas kain atau bahan- bahan lain dengan jarum jahit dan benang. Bordir juga bisa didefinisikan sebagai salah satu kerajinan ragam hias (untuk aksesoris busana) yang menitik beratkan pada keindahan dan kompetisi warna benang pada medium berbagai kain dengan alat bantu seperangkat mesin jahit (mesin jahit bordir) atau mesin jahit bordir komputer. Selain benang, hiasan untuk sulaman atau bordir dapat menggunakan bahan-bahan seperti potongan logam, mutiara, manik-manik, bulu burung, dan payet. Perencanaan dan Perancangan Sentra Bordir ini memiliki tujuan yaitu sebagai tempat produksi dan pemasaran hasil kerajinan serta adanya aktivitas lain diantaranya adalah pusat promosi, informasi, budaya edukasi sehingga nantinya mampu menjadi potensi wisata yang dapat memberi manfaat bagi pengembangan daerah dan ekonomi masyarakat diKabupaten Pasuruan. Penggunaan tema Arsitektur Berwawasan Lingkungan dalam perancangan bangunan ini diharapkan dapat menampilkan suatu karakter atau identitas dari fasilitas dan galeri itu sendiri, tidak hanya itu Arsitektur Berwawasan Lingkungan juga mengedepankan lingkungan sekitarnya meliputi conserving energy, working climate, respect for site, respect for user, holistic. Perancangan arsitektur bangunan dilakukan melalui serangkaian tahapan mulai dari identifikasi proyek, studi preseden, program rancangan, konsep hingga pengembangan rancangan.Kata Kunci: Bordir, Sentra Bordir, Arsitektur Berwawasan Lingkungan

Evening gown is one type of party dress that is divided according to the time of use, namely late afternoon or late evening. Evening gowns usually have more prominent characteristics than other types of party dress. Both of the model and decoration/garniture. The application of beads as an evening gown decoration is one way to impress a luxurious impression of evening party dress. Beads or in English called "beads" comes from the Middle English bede which means "prayer" (object of Worship). Because at first the beads were associated with occult things in previous religious ceremonies. Beads are usually made of stone, bone, wood, shell, glass, metal, and so on. The technique of stringing beads is known as beading embroidery. Beading embroidery is usually done by stringing beads on fabric using the help of a needle and thread. One of the techniques in making beading embroidery is the Cabochon technique. The term of Cabochon comes from French which means head, this term is often used for gemstones that have been polished so that it has a smooth round shape. In its development, the cabochon is decorated with small beads strung around a large gemstone which is likened to the head or center of this ornament..The study aims to 1) To apply the knowledge obtained from the course milineris accessories and Houte Couture as the basis in making milineris accessoires and garniture on the evening gown. 2) To introduce beading embroidery especially the cabochon technique as one of the alternative for garniture or ornament on the evening gown,and 3) To improve the student’s creativities in making garniture on the evening gown through making beading embroidery with cabochon technique. This kind of study is experimental study. The method used is the PBL (Project Base Learning) method. Namely learning methods that use projects / activities as a medium by conducting exploration, assessment, interpretation, synthesis, and information to produce various forms of learning outcomes.

The aim of this article is to introduce the Estonian goldwork tradition. In folk art, goldwork, or metalwork embroidery, has also been referred to as ‘tinsel embroidery’. It is a form of embroidery which uses different types of metal threads (containing gold, silver, copper, and other metals) and spirals, which are attached to the fabric using a fine thread. In the Estonian context, goldwork is a somewhat rarefied and narrowly-spread handicraft technique. In Estonia, goldwork played an important role in the decoration of church and military textiles. At the request of the Lutheran Church, goldwork was taught at the Department of Textile Design of the State School of Arts and Crafts between 1935 and 1940. In 1937, Aino Schmidt, an alumna of that institution, created several custom-made altar cloths, embellished with goldwork for the Kaarli Church in Tallinn. Rather than being made from velvet, as was typical at the time, the altar frontal and two lectern covers were made from white baize and embroidered with metal studs as well as with golden threads, spirals, and beads. Since the zeitgeist encouraged the young nation state to emphasise its uniqueness, it is understandable that ecclesiastical symbols were presented with simple traditional ornamentation and stylisation. After World War II, Estonia’s territory was incorporated into the Soviet Union, and churches came to be looked on with great disdain, thus the creation of church textiles and goldwork came to a halt. The creation of new textiles for churches resumed once more when Estonia regained its independence. Unfortunately, goldwork is no longer used in the creation of the textiles for the Estonian Lutheran Church and tapestry-weaving techniques are preferred instead. Nowadays there is no educational institution in Estonia where it would be possible to study the art of goldwork. Nor is there any master in Estonia who focuses on goldwork, nor anybody shaped by the local tradition from the beginning of the past century who would be able to teach the art of goldwork. And no instructions survive as to how goldwork was taught at the State School of Arts and Crafts. Since the teachers and the local master had a background in earlier traditions, it might be assumed that these instructions were mainly influenced by the Vienna and St. Petersburg schools. This article therefore mainly draws deliberately on the textiles that Schmidt created for the Kaarli Church in Tallinn; albeit the textiles have been ravaged by time. In addition, it is possible to draw on the knowledge and skills I have acquired while working under the guidance of Tatjana Kolosova (a representative of the English goldwork tradition) in Riga and the nuns at the Mount of Olives Convent of the Ascension of Our Lord in Jerusalem (representatives of the Moscow goldwork tradition). I singled out a pattern fragment where each technique used on the entire altar cloth was present. I paid close attention to the technology of the original artefact during the process of reconstruction. Although I did rely on modern possibilities in a few of the preparatory stages, traditional and time-consuming techniques were used while working on the reconstruction. Although my aim was to study the proper technique during the process of reconstruction and not to imitate the original, I did try to use as much as possible materials that were similar to the original. My so-called hands-on approach allowed me to conduct a more diverse study on old technical solutions, offering an opportunity to learn from the old masters without meeting them in person. The artefacts I examined, and which acted for me as the main means of communication with the past masters, were placed in a larger cultural framework and an overview concerning what is known about these masters has also been included in my study. The present study and reconstruction is an important step towards rediscovering goldwork techniques. Keywords: goldwork, goldwork embroiderer, altar cloth, church vestments, reconstruction

The aim of this article is to introduce the Estonian goldwork tradition. In folk art, goldwork, or metalwork embroidery, has also been referred to as ‘tinsel embroidery’. It is a form of embroidery which uses different types of metal threads (containing gold, silver, copper, and other metals) and spirals, which are attached to the fabric using a fine thread. In the Estonian context, goldwork is a somewhat rarefied and narrowly-spread handicraft technique. In Estonia, goldwork played an important role in the decoration of church and military textiles. At the request of the Lutheran Church, goldwork was taught at the Department of Textile Design of the State School of Arts and Crafts between 1935 and 1940. In 1937, Aino Schmidt, an alumna of that institution, created several custom-made altar cloths, embellished with goldwork for the Kaarli Church in Tallinn. Rather than being made from velvet, as was typical at the time, the altar frontal and two lectern covers were made from white baize and embroidered with metal studs as well as with golden threads, spirals, and beads. Since the zeitgeist encouraged the young nation state to emphasise its uniqueness, it is understandable that ecclesiastical symbols were presented with simple traditional ornamentation and stylisation. After World War II, Estonia’s territory was incorporated into the Soviet Union, and churches came to be looked on with great disdain, thus the creation of church textiles and goldwork came to a halt. The creation of new textiles for churches resumed once more when Estonia regained its independence. Unfortunately, goldwork is no longer used in the creation of the textiles for the Estonian Lutheran Church and tapestry-weaving techniques are preferred instead. Nowadays there is no educational institution in Estonia where it would be possible to study the art of goldwork. Nor is there any master in Estonia who focuses on goldwork, nor anybody shaped by the local tradition from the beginning of the past century who would be able to teach the art of goldwork. And no instructions survive as to how goldwork was taught at the State School of Arts and Crafts. Since the teachers and the local master had a background in earlier traditions, it might be assumed that these instructions were mainly influenced by the Vienna and St. Petersburg schools. This article therefore mainly draws deliberately on the textiles that Schmidt created for the Kaarli Church in Tallinn; albeit the textiles have been ravaged by time. In addition, it is possible to draw on the knowledge and skills I have acquired while working under the guidance of Tatjana Kolosova (a representative of the English goldwork tradition) in Riga and the nuns at the Mount of Olives Convent of the Ascension of Our Lord in Jerusalem (representatives of the Moscow goldwork tradition). I singled out a pattern fragment where each technique used on the entire altar cloth was present. I paid close attention to the technology of the original artefact during the process of reconstruction. Although I did rely on modern possibilities in a few of the preparatory stages, traditional and time-consuming techniques were used while working on the reconstruction. Although my aim was to study the proper technique during the process of reconstruction and not to imitate the original, I did try to use as much as possible materials that were similar to the original. My so-called hands-on approach allowed me to conduct a more diverse study on old technical solutions, offering an opportunity to learn from the old masters without meeting them in person. The artefacts I examined, and which acted for me as the main means of communication with the past masters, were placed in a larger cultural framework and an overview concerning what is known about these masters has also been included in my study. The present study and reconstruction is an important step towards rediscovering goldwork techniques. Keywords: goldwork, goldwork embroiderer, altar cloth, church vestments, reconstruction

The Armenian Veil of the Jagiellonian University Museum RepertoryThe Jagiellonian University Museum stores an Armenian liturgical veil made of thin cotton fabric decorated with silk and metal thread embroidery. Before the veil came into the possession of the Museum in 1945, it had been stored in Schlesisches Museum für Kunstgewerbe und Altertümer in Wrocław which had previously purchased it from dr Dorothea Willers in 1936. The analysis of the inscription on the fabric gave the following results: the veil was a gift from townsfolk, probably from Chars (Moush province), for St John the Baptiser Monastery in Moush (in Taron, an ancient Armenian province). For Armenians the Monastery used to be one of the most frequently visited pilgrimage sites before it was destroyed during genocide in 1915. Some of its possessions were moved to Ejmiatsin and later to Moscow. There they got dissipated after the October Revolution and have never returned to their rightful owners. The veil shows the following iconography: an image of light ray-crowned Agnus Dei typical for Armenian chalice veils, Salvor Mundi image of enthroned Christ, images of St Stephen and St John the Baptiser widely worshipped in the Armenian Church, and St Hripsime. The form is typical for Eucharist-themed Christ images (the chalice and Arma Christi symbols). Stylistically, the embroidery reflects the Eastern Armenian art characteristic in its decorative and ornamentation qualities. There are formal parallels between the veil and Armenian chalice veils from the 19th century, which allows to date the Jagiellonian Museum veil at that century.

This article illustrates and describes in detail a fine central European chasuble of the late c17 which, together with two dalmatics, ‘The Fetternear Vestments,’ were bequeathed to the Diocese of Aberdeen, in 1921 by the Leslie family, many of whom had been distinguished soldiers on the continent and especially in the Empire. After some contextual discussion of the alleged origins of the Leslie family and of their success in Imperial service, the article examines the traditional belief that the vestments, now at the Blairs Museum, Aberdeen, were made for Count James Leslie (c.1621-1694) partly out of Turkish textiles captured in 1683 at the Siege of Vienna. Detailed analysis of the embroidery on the chasuble, especially of the use of metal thread and ‘plate,’ demonstrates that the gold work is indeed of Turkish origin, the rest of the needle work central European, and thus makes the case that this extraordinary hybrid object is indeed a votive vestment made for the Catholic Leslies partly from captured Turkish work.

Managing a business such as a garment must have clear organizational structure, financial management, and production implementation so that company goals can be achieved according to the targets set by a company. The purpose of this research is to describe the business studies in "Vandev" Garments, especially in the production implementation section, which includes the manufacturing process of 3 products, namely jackets, jersey products, and shirt products. In this study, researchers used a descriptive research design with a qualitative approach. Checking the validity of the findings using source triangulation and triangulation techniques Based on the results of the researcher's findings that, all implementation of the production section is in accordance with the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards starting from the process of preparing product samples, the pattern making process, the process of spreading cloth, the process of cutting cloth, the process of numbering the materials, grouping the materials that have been given number, screen printing / embroidery, sewing process, finishing, cleaning clothes from thread remnants (trimming), packaging ironing process. The production implementation process is carried out in each worker's home, so that quality control is carried out every 2 days. Even though production is carried out in each worker's house, it does not change the quality of the product. When the trimming process uses the manual method instead of using a metal detector machine, you must be more careful in checking the product. The product marketing process is not only from within the country but has reached abroad. Suggestions for Garments "Vandev" regarding production management as input to further improve the skills of production employees. The last suggestion is for other researchers that this research can be an input and a reference for similar research but with a more detailed and more detailed discussion of the garment business study, so that it can add new insights for other researchers. Mengelola suatu usaha seperti garmen harus jelas struktur organisasinya, pengelolaan keuangan, serta pelaksanaan produksinya agar tujuan perusahaan bisa tercapai sesuai target yang ditentukan suatu perusahaan tersebut. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mendeskripsikan studi usaha yang ada di Garmen “Vandev” terutama pada bagian pelaksanaan produksi meliputi proses pembuatan 3 produk yaitu jaket, produk jersey, dan produk kemeja. Pada penelitian ini peneliti menggunakan rancangan penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Pengumpulan data yang diperoleh peneliti mulai dari proses wawancara 2 karyawan dan 1 pemilik garmen, observasi saat proses produksi berlangsung, serta dokumentasi saat proses produksi. Pengecekan keabsahan temuan menggunakan triangulasi sumber dan triangulasi teknik. Berdasarkan hasil temuan penelti bahwa, semua pelaksanaan bagian produksi telah sesuai dengan Standar Kompetensi Kerja Nasional Indonesia mulai dari proses menyiapkan contoh produk (sample), proses pembuatan pola, proses mengelar kain, proses memotong kain, proses penomeran pada bahan, pengelompokkan bahan yang sudah diberi nomer, sablon/bordir, proses menjahit, finishing, membersihkan pakaian dari sisa-sisa benang (trimming), proses penyetrikaan pengemasan. Proses pelaksanan produksi dilakukan di rumah masing-masing pekerja, sehingga quality control dilakukan setiap 2 hari sekali. Meskipun produksi dilakukan di masing-masing rumah pekerja tidak merubah kualitas produk tersebut. Saat proses trimming menggunakan cara manual bukan menggunakan mesin metal detector sehingga harus lebih teliti dalam memeriksa produknya. Proses pemasaran produk bukan hanya dari dalam negeri melainkan sudah sampai ke luar negeri. Saran bagi Garmen “Vandev” mengenai pengelolaan produksi sebagai masukan untuk lebih meningkatkan keterampilan para karyawan bagian produksi. Saran yang terakhir yaitu bagi peneliti lain bahwa penelitian ini bisa menjadi masukan serta menjadi referensi untuk penelitian sejenisnya namun dengan pembahasan yang lebih diperinci dan lebih detail mengenai studi usaha garmen, sehingga dapat menambah wawasan baru bagi peneliti lainnya.

AbstractGilding threads collected from Spanish and Portuguese palaces and from the embroideries and adornments of sculptures of the Virgin and Christ that form part of Sevillian Holy Week were analyzed and compared (20 artifacts were evaluated). The study covered a broad time period with examples from the 13th to 14th centuries, 18th to 20th centuries, and also including modern embroideries. A combination of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used. The knowledge of the layered structures of the threads has provided very valuable information regarding the manufacturing techniques. The different metal threads found in the embroidery studied consisted of gold, silver, copper, and alloys of these metals and aluminium. The fabrication procedures often differed in the different workshops and changed with time. In the modern embroideries, a decrease of precious metal concentration was detected. The threads were wound around a core of silk threads.

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of a pair of shoes excavated during archaeological research in the chancel of the St. Nicholas Church in Gniew, found on the feet of a man over 60. It is the first pair of Renaissance “cow-mouth” type shoes excavated from a grave. The results of the study of both archaeological material (footwear, velvet headgear covered with embroidery using threads in a metal braid) and iconography – portrait depictions, group scenes, and archival sources – confirmed the high social status of the deceased.

The Craft Camp programme was initiated by the Estonian Native Crafts Department of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy in 2014. The one-week camp has taken place at the Olustvere School of Service and Rural Economics and Olustvere Manor. The core of the programme has evolved and matured over the years, and significant changes have also taken place in the quality and variety of workshops. Participants at this year’s camp could pick from workshops on a total of 27 different subjects. The choice of materials ranged from bone, leather and wool to precious gold embroidery thread and silver. Nine different workshops took place in parallel sessions every day of the camp. The participants were able to put together a package of courses to suit their interests and to enjoy the chance of raising their skills to a new level. The participants of the camps include skilled craftsmen, craft teachers and artisans, as well as novice young makers – there are courses available to suit every skill level. The youngest participant ever was eleven years-old, while the oldest was seventy-eight. The average participant is a lady in her fifties or sixties with the means to travel and to invest in her interest in crafts. As the workshopsoffered include metal-, wood- and glass-working, the camp has also attracted a dozen men over these five years. A high level of instruction is maintained by the lecturers of the Estonian Native Crafts Department. The workshops of Riina Tomberg and Kristi Jõeste are always held in high regard, and the last couple of years have also seen increased interest in silver work. The Native Crafts Master’s graduates continue to bolster the ranks of instructors. Our masters combine great technical skills with the ability to explain the general background. At the same time, the instructors also possess the confidence of a designer in adapting traditional technologies and materials to modern requirements, thereby making them more attractive to the audience. Even though the Craft Camp has a significant number of regular participants, the range of workshops is sufficient to keep them satisfied and there is always something new to be learned. The ranks of trainers continue to expand with new experts in heritage crafts technologies and other researchers taking up previously unfeatured subjects. In addition to participation in workshops and the chance to meet like-minded people, the Craft Camp also provides an evening programme of social events introducing Estonian culture. The participants can also take a one-day cultural trip to part of Estonia and visit museums and local craftsmen, and to sample local food as well. The Craft Camp’s most significant contribution over these five years has been the expansion of the circle of friends of Estonian culture. The camp has hosted participants from 21 different countries, including Japan, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the Faroe Islands. A number of people with Estonian roots have also found their way back to the home of their ancestors. Many participants choose to stay in Estonia for longer than just the one week of the camp to explore Tallinn, the rich heritage culture of the Estonian islands, or life in small towns on their own. The skills and experience accumulated over the days spent at the camp enrich the minds of the participants and the instructors, and also those of the organisers.

The Craft Camp programme was initiated by the Estonian Native Crafts Department of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy in 2014. The one-week camp has taken place at the Olustvere School of Service and Rural Economics and Olustvere Manor. The core of the programme has evolved and matured over the years, and significant changes have also taken place in the quality and variety of workshops. Participants at this year’s camp could pick from workshops on a total of 27 different subjects. The choice of materials ranged from bone, leather and wool to precious gold embroidery thread and silver. Nine different workshops took place in parallel sessions every day of the camp. The participants were able to put together a package of courses to suit their interests and to enjoy the chance of raising their skills to a new level. The participants of the camps include skilled craftsmen, craft teachers and artisans, as well as novice young makers – there are courses available to suit every skill level. The youngest participant ever was eleven years-old, while the oldest was seventy-eight. The average participant is a lady in her fifties or sixties with the means to travel and to invest in her interest in crafts. As the workshopsoffered include metal-, wood- and glass-working, the camp has also attracted a dozen men over these five years. A high level of instruction is maintained by the lecturers of the Estonian Native Crafts Department. The workshops of Riina Tomberg and Kristi Jõeste are always held in high regard, and the last couple of years have also seen increased interest in silver work. The Native Crafts Master’s graduates continue to bolster the ranks of instructors. Our masters combine great technical skills with the ability to explain the general background. At the same time, the instructors also possess the confidence of a designer in adapting traditional technologies and materials to modern requirements, thereby making them more attractive to the audience. Even though the Craft Camp has a significant number of regular participants, the range of workshops is sufficient to keep them satisfied and there is always something new to be learned. The ranks of trainers continue to expand with new experts in heritage crafts technologies and other researchers taking up previously unfeatured subjects. In addition to participation in workshops and the chance to meet like-minded people, the Craft Camp also provides an evening programme of social events introducing Estonian culture. The participants can also take a one-day cultural trip to part of Estonia and visit museums and local craftsmen, and to sample local food as well. The Craft Camp’s most significant contribution over these five years has been the expansion of the circle of friends of Estonian culture. The camp has hosted participants from 21 different countries, including Japan, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the Faroe Islands. A number of people with Estonian roots have also found their way back to the home of their ancestors. Many participants choose to stay in Estonia for longer than just the one week of the camp to explore Tallinn, the rich heritage culture of the Estonian islands, or life in small towns on their own. The skills and experience accumulated over the days spent at the camp enrich the minds of the participants and the instructors, and also those of the organisers.

Through scientific analysis, this study identified the material characteristics of metal foil decorating the border line and knotting of the National Folklore Cultural Heritage ‘Pouch for the Sutra Embroidered with a Sun and Moon Design’. Through Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy results, it was estimated that silver (Ag) and sulfur (S) were present in the metal foil, and silver leaf was also attached to the medium. S may discolor Ag from yellow to black depending on its concsentration and contact time. Yellow color could not be identified in metal foil at present. But there existed an example of the preparation of a gold-colored flat silver thread; therefore, further research is needed to estimate the original color. The lamella was reddish brown on the back. Aluminum, silicon, and iron were also detected and were the main components found in red soil. This is believed to be the red adhesive in traditional flat gold thread and is considered to be an adhesive-related component of the metal foil. From the gas chromatography mass spectrometry results, the adhesive component was confirmed to be animal glue.

The subjects of this research are the burial clothes of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa and his wife Constance, which were woven and embroidered with silk and metal threads. Fragments of the textiles underwent spectroscopic, spectrometric, and thermogravimetric analyses. The hydrofluoric acid extraction method was improved to isolate various classes of dyes from the textile samples that had direct contact with human remains. High-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with diode array and tandem mass spectrometry detectors with electrospray ionization (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) facilitated the detection and identification of colorants present in the textiles. Cochineal, indigo-, madder-, orchil-, and tannin-producing plants were identified as the sources of dyes used. Scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDS) was employed to identify and characterize the silk fibers and mordants and the metal threads. The presence of iron, aluminum, sodium, and calcium in the silk threads suggests their potential use as mordants. The analysis of the metal threads revealed that most of them were made from flattened gilded silver wire, with only a few being cut from a sheet of metal. Typical degradation mechanisms of metal threads were shown, resulting from both burial environment and earlier manufacturing process, and the use of the textiles in clothing, i.e., a significant loss of the gold layer was observed in most of silver gilt threads, caused by abrasion and delamination. The results of the thermal analysis confirmed the presence of silk and silver threads in the examined textiles.

In 1948, a schizophrenic woman admitted to the Eastern State Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, began shredding rags into coloured thread and begging hospital staff to give her a sewing needle. In the space of seven years, she created several garments, densely embroidered with images and glossolalic text. Ward notes dismissively summarized, “She sews without purpose…is non-productive”. In 1955 she was medicated with the newly developed drug, chlorpromazine, and stopped sewing. Over the years, most of the works were lost –– along with the medical records of their creator, who is known by the pseudonym, “Myrllen”. Today, only two artifacts remain: a scarf, which hangs in Lakeshore Mental Health Center in Knoxville; and a coat, preserved in the Tennessee State Museum. My research is the first academic study of these artifacts, which are virtually unknown outside of Tennessee and Maryland.

Двусторонняя шитая хоругвь с изображением Спаса Нерукотворного, в обрамлении барочной металлической рамы, является уникальным древним памятником, сохранившимся до наших дней без поновлений и реставрационных вмешательств. Проведенные визуальные и химико-технологические исследования позволили определить технику и материалы выполнения двустороннего лицевого шитья на одной основе и особенности изготовления двустворчатой рамы из просеченного железа с полудой и золочением. Реставрация двустороннего шитья после демонтажа рамы проводилась поэтапно. Она заключалась в выборе способа и проведении общей очистки, в подборе метода частичного дублирования с сохранением равнозначных изображений на лицевой и оборотной стороне пелены, в укреплении тканевой основы и разрушенных шелковых и золотных нитей древнерусского шитья. Консервация и реставрация металлической рамы проводились в Костромском филиале ВХНРЦ. A two-sided embroidered gonfalon with the Vernicle framed by a baroque metal frame is a unique ancient monument that has survived to this day without renovations and restoration interventions. Conducted visual and chemical-technological research allowed to determine the technique and materials of performing two-sided pictorial embroidery on one basis and features of manufacturing a double-leaf frame of penetrated iron with a tinning and gilding. The restoration of two-sided embroidered after dismantling the frame was carried out in stages. It consisted in choosing a method and carrying out a general cleaning, in the selection of the method of partial duplication with preservation of equivalent images on the front and back of the veil, in strengthening the coating fabric and the destroyed silk and gold threads of old Russian embroidery. The preservation and restoration of the metal frame was carried out in the Kostroma branch of the Grabar Art Conservation Center.

This work presents the results from the analysis of the textile braids found out during the archaeological excavations one hundred years ago.The total length of the braids is approximately 160 cm. Their average width is about 7,5 cm. The braids are made of silk in tabby weave and are decorated with metal thread embroidered Õ-shaped ornaments. They are dated in 14th century.

AbstractThis manuscript explores the potential of macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) for the non-invasive analysis of heritage textiles. XRF, especially with the portable instruments, is a well-known technique for the non-destructive examination of various cultural heritage objects. It allows analysis of elemental composition based on single-point measurements. However, large, or complex textiles require numerous analysis points to identify the materials used and correctly interpret the spectra. MA-XRF takes this type of research to the next level, as it is possible to visualise the element distribution over an entire mapped area. In this paper, we discuss the application of this technique to the study of complex and multi-layered textile objects from exceptional Belgian heritage collections, including two mitres attributed to Bishop Jacques de Vitry, dating between twelfth and thirteenth century, and two of the seven extremely fine medieval reliquary purses from Namur. These are very fragile, richly decorated textile objects whose current state of preservation is a major impediment to sampling. MA-XRF mapping was applied for the identification of the elements of different materials in a non-invasive manner, including metal threads, ink, dyes, and various materials used in illuminations. In addition to material identification, stratigraphic information was obtained from the visualisation of element distributions, and hidden structural details were discovered. MA-XRF was also tested on some areas with more relief, such as the embroidery and braid made with metal threads, and the undulated multi-layered structure of the parchment mitre. Even though the analyses here could not be carried out in optimal conditions, these locations could also be analysed, albeit at a lower resolution. Finally, the technique proved very effective as a tool for screening, allowing samples to be taken at a more informative and representative location and minimising sampling.

IntroductionOn a sunny afternoon in early spring 2014, five researchers were strolling through the streets of Old Aberdeen. They had known each other for only a few days since an event had brought them together. The event was Performance Reflexivity, Intentionality and Collaboration: A Sourcing Within Worksession, convened by anthropologist Caroline Gatt and performer Gey Pin Ang, as part of the ERC Advanced Grant project “Knowing from the Inside,” at the department of Anthropology, University of Aberdeen. This workshop aimed to explore aspects of creative decision-making in performance to assess their relevance to anthropological practice. For three days, participants had engaged in intensive physical and vocal training, seeking to act in ways that felt intuitive and not forced. Five of those participants—Brian Schultis, Peter Loovers, Ragnhild Freng Dale, Valeria Lembo, and myself—unintentionally continued those explorations after the workshop.Our wanderings around the old town took us to the St Machar’s Cathedral. As we were lingering by the graveyard, Valeria took out of her bag a yarn of golden thread. This, she said, was an object of “personal relevance” that she had brought along to the workshop as a prop to work with, following Gey Pin’s instructions. Now she was unravelling it, offering one point to each of us. As we untangled the yarn, we resumed walking. Held from different points, the yarn became a web. Its threads shifted, vibrations reaching our fingertips as we moved. As we entered Seaton Park, which is adjacent to the Cathedral, the threads registered our encounters with the bumpy path, trees, wind, and passers-by as visible, tactile, and kinetic qualities. Pulls, resistances, flows, and gaps triggered a sense of “enmeshment” (Ingold, Lines 11) in a living, breathing world, something greater than ourselves.Walking Threads (henceforth WT), as we retrospectively named the experience, has since developed into a publication (Ang et al.) and a series of invitations extended to larger groups, at conferences and symposia, to walk with the golden thread (walkingthreads.wordpress.com). In our basic WT practice, the yarn is passed around. The thread unravels and we begin to move. No instruction is given to participants, in order to avoid their over-conceptualising the walk. We begin in silence in order to encourage an attitude of “listening,” that is, of opening one’s perceptual awareness to what is happening in the moment. This has not prevented participants from spontaneously using their voice at later stages of the walk, through song, recitation or the exploring of vocal sound.While WT outings are sporadic, the golden thread has continued to be part of my life in subtle ways. Since the last walk in September 2015 at the Beyond Perception symposium in Aberdeen, the thread has repeatedly come to mind. I began to pay attention to these appearances of the thread not as a material object but as a so-called “mental image.” By focusing on the image of the thread, I intentionally recalled some of its properties as a thing that connects, tangles, ties, and is untied, properties that the WT had made salient. By allowing those properties to inform my relationship with my body, the thread turned into a somatic image, a process that I describe in this paper. Thus, this paper continues the WT project’s creative explorations of bodies with threads. This time, however, the thread is not conceived of as a material object but as an image.A few words on my understanding of images are in order. Since 2006 I have been dancing and researching butoh, a dance style that originated in Japan in the post-World War II years. Butoh is a formless dance: it resists codification into a conclusive system of movement, relying on intensified proprioception—the perception of one’s own body—to sustain movement work instead. The use of verbal imagery is widespread among butoh dancers: words act as devices to evoke sensory experiences and “scaffold” (Downey) perceptual attention in order to achieve nuanced qualities of movement. The practice of butoh has informed my understanding of mental images not as merely visual but also as kinaesthetic, that is, engaging the sense of movement. This connection is hardly new; Csordas, for instance, talks of “physical” or “sensory” imagery, rather than merely visual (146–47).While I never intentionally used butoh to relate to the thread, my training and sensitivities as a butoh dancer are likely to have played a role in my relations with this object, as filtered through the WT experiences. Based on my background as a butoh dancer and “thread-walker,” the approach of this paper may be understood as one of anthropology with art: one in which the modes of observation supporting artistic and anthropological inquiries coincide (Ingold, Making 8). An artist’s engagement with materials, tools and things—including the body—is speculative, experimental and open-ended, rather than descriptive or documentary. This type of engagement can question established ways of seeing. For instance, we generally think of objects and bodies as belonging to different domains—the inanimate and the animate, the lifeless and the living. This paper questions this assumption and hypothesises that, through a particular kind of perceptual engagement, which mobilises the somatic and the imaginary simultaneously, objects and bodies can merge. An object can be embodied and, vice versa, a body can become a thing.The paper draws on autoethnographic occurrences of relating to the image of the thread, in the form of short somatic narratives, or narratives “from the body” (Farnell). Each narrative aligns the image of the thread to a particular aspect of somatic awareness: thinking, breathing, and muscle-bones. Far from claiming universal validity, these personal accounts engage a “somatic mode of attention” (Csordas 139) to venture in the potentialities of image-based thinking (Sousanis; Jackson). The exploration finds that, as the materiality of the thread retreats into the background, its image unlocks aspects of self-perception that normally escape conscious awareness (Leder). The image of the thread becomes a perceptual device that, by facilitating access to somatic awareness, reshapes relations with the world and, internally, with the body. It is in this sense that I embody the thread. Beginning with a Loose End: Spinning Thought into Thread-FormAs I begin to write this paper, I witness my thinking taking the form of a thread. It first appears as a loose end. I see it in my mind’s eye, and from a short distance. The loose end of a golden thread floating in a dark space. I cannot see how far it extends. Instead, the gaze of my imagination glides towards its surface as though attempting to grab it. Even so close, I cannot touch it. Still I can contemplate few of its qualities. I meet its reassuring continuity. A glimmer catches my attention: it is a few silver filaments inside the thread, glittering. The thought-form of the thread is a sensation of thin electric current between the temples. I sense the space between my eyes and forehead, their muscles and bones, subtly engaging. The same space begins to narrow down into a corridor. It is narrower and narrower. My thought spins itself into thread-form.In the 1980s, movement therapist Thomas Hanna defined a perspective from inside as “somatic,” that is, pertaining to soma, the ancient Greek word for “living body” (20). The somatic involves the perception of the corporeal from the inside rather than the outside: “to yourself, you are a soma. To others, you are a body. Only you can perceive yourself as a soma—no one else can do so” (20). As a first-person perspective on the body, the somatic involves attention to perceptual processes (Csordas). Yet, in daily life, self-perception is the exception rather than the norm. Being in the world is active rather than reflective (Leder). Otherwise put, being alive requires a mode of engagement that goes “forwards” rather than “in reverse” (Ingold, Making 8).Were we constantly aware of our own presence and actions, this would obstruct their unfolding (Leder 19–20). In order not to inhibit its capacity for being, the body must remain to a great extent “absent” to itself (Leder 19). Some reflective possibilities nonetheless exist. In meditation, for instance, one can attend directly to bodily processes, with aesthetic and contemplative benefits (18–19). The opening somatic narrative presented my visualising of the golden thread as such a kind of reflexive engagement. There, the activity of visualising ceased to be an orientation towards an externally conceived “object” (the thread), becoming itself the end, or object, of perception.One may ask: What kind of sensory perception is mobilised in positing the “visualising” of the thread as “object” rather than as background process? I suggest it is proprioceptively-oriented kinaesthesia or, the perception of self-movement. In this mode of perception, the activity of visualising the thread yields kinetic and spatial impressions. Visualising, that is, is perceived as a movement of attention (Sheets-Johnstone 420–22).The image of the thread, meanwhile, has suggestively merged with the activity of visualisation, in two stages. First, it has guided my attention towards an otherwise-recessive bodily process. Secondly, it has lent its form to an otherwise-indeterminate bundle of sensations. I elaborate on this latter aspect in the following section, where the next somatic narrative posits thinking as a perceptual object, in the form of the image of a web of threads.Seeing through the Veil Walking home one day I noticed some thoughts unpleasantly affecting my mood. In recognising their negative impact, I decided that I should try and detach myself from them. I imagined that the thoughts were like threads woven together. This image of interwoven thoughts developed into another image: a coherent system of thoughts, or worldview, was like a “veil” spread between my eyes and the world. I could, quite literally, “remove” the veil through an act simultaneously of proprioceptive awareness and imagination, leaving my mind uncluttered. As new thoughts rushed in to form a new veil, I could also remove these and so on. As a reminder of this experience, I jotted down these words:If the veil is made of ideasThen thinking is weaving.Sometimes I can see the veilMade of the substance ofMy thoughts.When I see it,When I see the fabricOf thought that forms it,Then it disappears.When I see itWhen I can really see the veil,It’s by a certain way of seeingWhich is in my forehead.To see that way,Really look, with yourEyes as well asWith your mindFor the mind itselfCan attune,Can look, can see through the veil.Leder writes, “insofar as I perceive through an organ, it necessarily recedes from the perceptual field it discloses. I do not smell my tissue, hear my ear, or taste my taste buds but perceive with and through such organs” (14). Similarly, in ordinary conditions, I cannot think about my own mind. To see through the veil of thoughts requires a reflexive effort. It is to attend to the act, not the content, of thinking.This form of awareness can be seen as gestural, as it calls into play the body—a certain way of seeing/which is in my forehead. It is both a stepping back from thoughts, which allows me to see them as objects (a veil), and a removing of them, as though they were tangible things.Weaving the Body into the Night: Breath and Physical Forces as KnotsThe definition of somatic in the previous section anchors it to the point of view of the perceiver. The next somatic narrative describes how, through the image of thread, the perceiving I dissipates into contiguity with the world. Following my experience of perceiving my own thoughts as a veil, I further practised “moving my thoughts” through that image. One night the image of the veil “moved me,” that is, my entire body, in turn.As I cycle back home in the light rain I sense my own presence weaving in the fabric of the night. The fresh air flowing into and out of my nostrils and lungs, my feet pressing against the pedals, pushing my body up from the saddle, my legs looping. Dynamic energy mingles with currents of air passing through my body, and shining asphalt flowing under the wheels. Rhythm, like sowing my presence onto the air. And though the road is steep, tonight cycling up the hill feels effortless. My mind is empty and alert, engaging with the fabric of reality I can see. Is this “reality” or just my imagination? It would not make much difference to me. This somatic narrative reintroduces the image of the veil on a different scale. Now I see the veil as though through a microscope: myriad intertwining threads, and I am part of it. Threads run out of my limbs and lungs: gathering and propelling, pushes and pulls, in- and out-breaths. They weave with the night’s very limbs and lungs: streets, trees, the hill, the breeze, the deep embrace of the sky.For Ingold “every living being is a line or, better, a bundle of lines” (Lines 3). Lines are the movements that living beings perform as they relate—“corresponding,” “clinging,” “tying,” and “untying” (3–7)—to other living beings and the world. Breathing also is a line: “as we breathe in and out, the air mingles with our bodily tissues, filling the lungs and oxygenating the blood” (70). Or rather, breathing is a knot: it ties the inside with the outside. “Breathing is the way in which beings can have unmediated access to one another, on the inside, while yet spilling out into the cosmos in which they are equally immersed” (67).Cycling up-hill, breathing in and out, pushing and propelling, is a weaving of my body, a bundle of lines, with the ebb and flow of the weather-world (Ingold, Lines). This image evokes an outer spatial dimension to the body, an opening. It recalls my being one of multiple people holding and walking with the thread in the WT project. As with WT, feelings of resistance, flux, and being part of something bigger emerge.The image of threads feeds into the somatic perception of body-in-action, and vice versa. Here, engaging in action and imagination are not in contradiction but imply one another. They “correspond” (Ingold, Making): it is because my actions unfold through the imaginary framework of the night as veil that they can flow as they do, sinking in perceptual tracks of extended being.Muscle-Bones as ThreadsFor anthropologist Michael Jackson, metaphors reveal the identity of domains of being that the intellect strives to keep separate, such as the cultural and the natural. “Metaphor reveals unities; it is not a figurative way of denying dualities. Metaphor reveals, not the ‘thisness of a that’ but rather that ‘this is that’” (142, emphasis in the original). Whenever a crisis occurs, which undermines the unity of being-in-the-world, metaphors can be called upon to resolve the impasse and to make people “whole” (149).The final somatic narrative is an example of how an image can restore the unity of the physical and the mental. By imbuing the visceral body with the tangible qualities of a thing, the image of the thread turns the absent body into a sentient, responsive body. This, in turn, helps to overcome the impasse created by physical pain.Lying on the floor, sinking into it. The pain has been with me for years now. When stressed or tired, it spreads through the left side of my body. I have begun imagining the pain’s epicenter as a knot inside the pelvis, between left hip and tailbone. Looking inwards, I try and see the muscular fibres enveloping my limbs, connecting top to bottom. I summon the image of the thread. I make its fibres overlap with my muscle fibres. I want the thread to be the muscles, and the muscles to be the thread. This way I can disentangle the knots and find relief. My body is a deep, dark well. Breath is the rope that takes me down. Breathing in and out creates ripples of movement. They gently undo the knot, ease the pain. In this somatic narrative, my body is, once again, a bundle of threads. This time, however, this image has an anatomical inflection. Instead of generic movements, it is my very muscles that are threads. Early modern Dutch anatomist Ruysch also described muscles as made “of many parallel threads of different lengths,” which fitted with his overall view of the human body as divine “embroidery” (van de Roemer 180–82).In the previous section, a knot was a device for binding and securing life relations to survive a world that is, by its very nature, adrift (Ingold, Lines 67). Breathing enacted one such kind of knot “tying” the inside with the outside. In contrast, now a knot is a place of stagnation, of tension, where movement does not flow as it should. Breathing triggers minute movements throughout the body, which allow me to gradually undo the knot, releasing tensions and bringing relief.ConclusionDrawing on personal experiences, this article has sought to show that corporeal relations with an object can transcend its materiality. By engaging imagination and somatic attention, the thread lived a second life within and through my body.Based on the object’s characteristics and properties, the image of the thread refashioned, albeit momentarily, my relation with my body and the world. It allowed me to fill a perceived gap between body and world, between imagining and being.Finally, in relating to “unthinkable” aspects of being—mental and physical pain—the image of the thread was beneficial and even healing. It yielded sustainable notions of the corporeal.ReferencesAng, Gey Pin, Paola Esposito, Valeria Lembo, Ragnhild Freng Dale, Caroline Gatt, Peter Loovers, and Brian Schultis. “Walking Threads.” Humans and the Environment/Walking Threads [Special Issue]. The Unfamiliar: An Anthropological Journal 5.1–2 (forthcoming, 2016). Csordas, Thomas. “Somatic Modes of Attention.” Cultural Anthropology 8.2 (1993): 135-56.Downey, Greg. “Scaffolding Imitation in Capoeira Training: Physical Education and Enculturation in an Afro-Brazilian Art.” American Anthropologist 110 (2008): 204–13.Farnell, Brenda. “Moving Bodies, Acting Selves.” Annual Review of Anthropology 28 (1999): 341–73.Hanna, Thomas. Somatics: Reawakening the Mind’s Control of Movement, Flexibility, and Health. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1988.Ingold, Tim. Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture. London: Routledge, 2013.———. The Life of Lines. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015.Jackson, Michael. Paths toward a Clearing: Radical Empiricism and Ethnographic Inquiry. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1989.Leder, Drew. The Absent Body. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1990.Sheets-Johnstone, Maxine. The Primacy of Movement. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2011.Sousanis, Nick. Unflattening. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard UP, 2015.Van de Roemer, Gijsbert M. “From Vanitas to Veneration: The Embellishments in the Anatomical Cabinet of Frederik Ruysch.” Journal of the History of Collections 22.2 (2010): 169–86.

Zari-Zardozi is a type of hand embroidery and usually done on apparels for embellishment with the help of needle, threads and metal wires. This handicraft work has been taken as patrimonial art in the artisan family. Even a strong presence of this art in the domestic and international market in last decade of 20th century and the first decade of the twenty first century, the plight of labourers was not improved and became so miserable. This descriptive research has been done on Zari-zardozi labourers of different villages of Bareilly, a western Uttar Pradesh’s district famous for this handicraft. There was 150 rural household samples were collected randomly to depict Zari-zardozi labourers’ present actual condition with their socio-economic background. There are two types of workers involved in this sector. One, who are doing this work as their main occupation and engaged in that throughout the year while others are temporary workers whose main occupation is some other but to earn sufficient or to use their holidays, they work for some hours or few days in a month or year. The nature of employment may affect the labour productivity. This paper would try to know the age-group, education, technical qualifications, wages variance between permanent and temporary labourers. With the help of Zari-Zardozi labourers’ inputs it would suggest the major factors affecting wages and would prescribe the possible measures to increase their income. Along with it, this study would try to assess their quality of life up to some extent with socio-economic condition of them. Minimum wage payment, skill development and social welfare schemes within the ambit of structural change of selling may be helpful to improve their poverty ridden condition