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.
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)
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.
The MIAO people are a Chinese minority which are subdivided in 30 sub-minorities, all with their own costumes. From 6-7 years old the girls 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.
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.
In the beginning of the 17th century in Italy, a variety of styles developed where the work is started by securing heavier guiding threads onto a stiff background (such as thick paper) with stitches that can later be removed. The work is then built up using a variety of stitches - the most basic being a variety of buttonhole or blanket stitch. When the entire area is covered with the stitching, the stay-stitches are released and the lace comes away from the paper. See reticella.Needle lace is also used to create the fillings or insertions in cutwork. 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