Today brought the promised relief from heat, windows open to enjoy it
And yesterday there was an excellent online presentation about textiles from Indonesia.
I was particularly glad they showed the simple looms these highly complex works are made on by master weavers, often members of the royal family. Where you see an inset photo, it's the weaver shown with her work.
I learned that mud dyeing, a common technique used in this area, means the river mud, an iron rich material, is the mordant only, not,, as I had wondered, the dye. People who've been reading here will know the mordant is what enables the dye to bite into the fabric -- that's what mordant means.
The two funeral pictures show the dozens of textiles heaped onto the body as a mark of honor, to this day. And a line of mourners
This island was a Dutch colony until independence, and some of the earlier works show the Dutch coat of arms, now replaced with local symbols of their traditions.
And today's patio discovery, a purple butterfly bush, among the white, very welcome.
Gary will probably want an offshoot, because he now only has white blossoms. Speaking of butterflies, I notice they're mainly interested in the zinnias, so I'll note that for future reference. Mainly white butterflies, with a single monarch recently and one dusky swallow tail.
Happy day everyone, here's the current bouquet
What a lovely find on the patio! And a breeze besides! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful weaving!
ReplyDeleteAmazing on such simple looms. All the skill is in the weaver.
DeleteI have to tell you that I would truly love to know what the Lau Wuti Kau symbol with the turtle is all about. Looks ouchie.
ReplyDeleteAgain- it is so interesting that almost all cultures have a history of textile art.
Enjoy your weather! We'll probably experience that sort of break in November. Sigh.
Turtle and crayfish are symbols of reproduction and honor the penis. It's just a kind of family tree in symbolic form.
DeleteHello, purple butterfly bush! You look very familiar. I love the ever-evolving flower arrangement in the vase. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the ongoing story.
DeleteI wonder how old weaving actually is. I know different cultures can trace back their weaving history but as Ms Moon says, all cultures figured out how to weave cloth. I wonder if there is a single source or one of those ideas whose time has come that appears simultaneously all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, too. I know certain traditions were lost and later rediscovered. A lot of early weaving, still practiced in Indonesia and Guatemala, is four selvedge weaving. It amuses me a lot that Western weavers, including me, get all excited over learning it, a very ordinary procedure to back strap weavers.
DeleteThere's something so delightful about traditional textiles and weaving. Thank you for the presentation. I went to a wonderful exhibition in London a few years ago of textiles from many different regional UK museums, gathered together. Fascinating. I also went to one about African fashion which showed how traditional weaving can be used in up to the minute designer fashion. I love butterfly bushes, if you're calling them by the same name as we call buddleias. A sweet scent, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a longtime textile artist so you'll often find coverage of textile talks and events in here. I'm glad you enjoy them.
DeleteAnd yes, that's a relative of the buddleia, more aggressive st self seeding, but with a sweet scent, the purple different, more complex scent than the white.
How nice to have a volunteer purple butterfly bush. It is believed without reproach that spinning was invented by herder boys (and girls) who idly plucked fleece from bushes and soon twisted it into thread. Weaving, however, is more complex. Did it derive from looking at bird nests? Probably, among other theories.
ReplyDeleteSpinning had its history also in Paleolithic cording, which is finger spinning and plying of grasses in one process. Interesting to consider the earliest origins of weaving, too. I doubt if there's much agreement.
DeleteIt’s always amazing to me just how clever women were in the past. They invented weaving, knitting,and crochet patterns and how to dye yarn. We now come along and copy them. How boring are we!
ReplyDeleteI think we're still inventive!
DeleteThat reading (reeding?) is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThey're dried strips of palm leaf, and when the motif is incorporated into the final weaving, they're drawn out as the weaver progresses.
DeleteGlad the temperature has cooled for you and that there's a lovely breeze.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see the weavings and read about mud dyeing - thank you.
The temperature is just lovely. I'm glad you liked the Indonesian weaving presentation, happy to bring it to you.
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