7000 years of hand woven textiles in one exhibition!

TRC Gallery exhibition, 26 May – 23 September 2014

Woman in Lima, Peru, with backstrap loom. Photograph: Jefke van ItersonThe Gallery exhibition at the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, is a must for textile lovers.

The exhibition includes some of the oldest textiles in the world. They come from Çatal Hüyük (Turkey). These tiny fragments are about 7000 years old, and what a story they tell about the long history of hand weaving! Other unusual items on display include textiles that were originally wrapped around the Dead Sea Scrolls, examples of Coptic tapestries from Egypt, as well as medieval and Renaissance velvets and silk woven textiles. All of them are hand woven!

Following an article about the TRC in a national Dutch newspaper (Trouw, 22 October 2011), the TRC was approached about the potential donation of a collection of European textiles from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries. These pieces formed part of the collection of the Van Gerwen-Lemmens Museum, Valkenswaard, which was forced to close down in 2008. After a visit by TRC staff to Valkenswaard on November 12, Mrs. Van Gerwen very kindly donated 101 textiles to the TRC.

Most of the textiles date to the 18^thcentury and include velvets, brocades and damasks. In addition, there are a few printed and embroidered pieces. There were also several, very rare ‘Coptic’ silk embroideries dating from the sixth to the seventh centuries AD. These include scenes depicting what appears to be Christ and various saints.

The acquisition of these pieces means that the TRC’s collection will take on a greater depth with respect to quality and range of subjects. The textiles will be on display at the TRC Gallery as part of a special exhibition, from June to September 2012.