A diversity of textiles will be presented; weavings from all over the world from Africa, Asia, form example Afghanistan, Central-Asia, the Chinese minorities, India, Pakistan, Europe there is antique lace and linen.
Buddism, Christianity, Judeism, the old Iranian religions,
Islam, Hindoeism, the philosophies of Confucius find their source in Asia.
South East Asia is full of tradition, for example the ancestors cult.
Traditional textiles can be of great value. You can recognize craftsmanship
in perfectly woven ikat or batik textiles.
The combination of colours and motifs in traditional textiles tells the
history of a tribe and their rituals.
CHINESE LIFE is extremely symbolic. The symbols are from
different origins. For example a dragon with clouds is seen as the bringer
of spring rain. Clouds are a symbol of abundance. The crane bird, the peach
and the deer represent a long life. The phoenix stands for benevolence,
kindness and the start of better times. Han Chinese are an ethnic group
native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.
Girls from 6-7 years old are learning different technics of knitting and
are decorating their own costumes. When they are 16-17 years old they will
be master of all these technics. An important traditional sign, because
they can make clothes for their husband and children, which means they are
ready for marriage.
INDONESIAN TEXTILES If you recognize the
symbols, you know the meaning of them. A valuable past must be saved with
care and respect. This is not easy because traditional textiles often are
perished or has no meaning anymore because certain tribes died together
with their centuries-old rituals.
Photo: Frans Faber-Amsterdam; www.fransfaber.com (Indonesian textiles)
ANTIQUE
LACE
Needle lace (also known as needlelace or needle-made
lace) is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to stitch up hundreds
of small stitches to form the lace itself. In its purest form the only equipment
and materials used are a needle, thread and scissors. This form of lace
making originated in Armenia where there is evidence of a lace making tradition
dating back to the pre-christian era. Turkish needlelace is also very popular
around the world. Source: Wikipedia
During The Amsterdam Traditional Textiles Fair there was a photo
exhibition from Ruth Oria. She was born in Israel, lived in the
USA and Singapore and settled in the Netherlands. Ruth Oria studied photography
in Singapore and is an associate of the Photographic Society of Singapore.
During her extensive travels through South-East Asia Ruth realized that
travel photography in general, and portrait photography in particular, are
her preferred modes of expression. When she first arrived to Singapore she
was struck how colourful it was. Then when she started travelling through
South-East Asia she was fascinated by the cultural richness and diversity
of various ethnic groups. Crossing the U-Bein Bridge, Photography Ruth
Oria
Organisatie: The Amsterdam Traditional Textiles Fair; tel.: +31-(0)652620145
email: info@amsterdamjewelryfair.nl
