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| Celtic brooch |
Inspiration and awe
On our last full day in Scotland, we returned to Edinburgh and spent the afternoon at the National Museum of Scotland. With limited time, we restricted our visit to the Scottish History and Archaeology wing. With a museum guide, time from the Palaeolithic era to the present day was compressed to fewer than two hours.
The museum is exceedingly well laid-out and the artifacts, well-displayed. We lingered after the guided tour that compressed the time from the Palaeolithic era to the present day into fewer than two hours.
I especially treasure museum visits as they almost always provide sources of inspiration. It may be color, line, texture, design--I never know what it will be. But I know that it is almost always there. I just need to slow down and drink in what surrounds me.
Old designs, modern form and function
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| Iron Age gold torc |
There is a beautiful display of jewelry made by the Early People, so named because they left no written history and little is known about them. Among my favorites were the recently discovered Iron Age gold neck ornaments (torcs) (left) and the Celtic brooch pin (above right).
The torc is spectacular and its design, timeless. The museum obviously thinks so, too. The gift shop has beautiful replicas for sale.
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| Woven willow wool basket |
I also especially liked the woven willow wool basket, made on the Isle of Skye. Functional and beautiful. And perfect for storing wool to be spun.
(I keep trying to maintain some focus, but just maybe I do need to try my hand at basketry, after all.)
Industrial archeology
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| Jacquard loom cards |
We also spent a lot of time in the galleries of historic textile equipment. All the machines I have heard of were there--and more. Many are original, but some are scaled down models of the originals. It is quite an impressive collection.
There is a loom like the one at the Weaver's Cottage and there is a Jacquard loom, a mechanical loom that enabled weavers to produce complex patterns such as brocades and damask--and those for paisley shawls. The loom is controlled by a series of punched cards, which are laced together in a continuous sequence. Don't they remind you of early computer punch cards?
A young Chinese-American couple was also visiting. He works in the textile import business and showed us a photo of the machine in his factory in China that produces textiles. It was nearly identical to the Jacquard loom in the display.
I was also drawn to the beetling engine, mostly because I'd never heard of such a thing. The huge machine was used to soften linen thread and also to add the 'glaze' finish on quality woven linens. Note the hooks for holding--and twisting--linen threads on the bottom left. I can only imagine the noise it would make pounding the material.
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| Beetling engine |
The museum is a must-see for anyone interested--even a little bit--in Scotland, its history and its people.
In NYC last week for lunch, I took advantage of my recently retired status to spend an afternoon appreciating textiles.
The Japan Week exhibit at Grand Central Terminal was a bonus. I hadn't expected it. But sometimes, those are the most fun. One popular offering was the guy dressed up as a samurai. Lots of people wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to dress up in a shorthand edition of the armor and stand for a photo with the fully-attired actor (at right). Lots of braids on both outfits. Traditionally, the suits were tied together with kumihimo braids hand braided of silk by guilds, which guarded their traditions and skills almost to the death of the braiding techniques.
Next stop was the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum for a some costuming inspiration.
Faking It: Originals, Copies, and Counterfeits, an exhibit of about 100 objects from the museum's collection, explores the world of original designs vs. licensed copies vs. imitations. As one of the museum's video announcers says, 'you can't copyright color or shape' so it's very difficult to prosecute counterfeiters. In many cases, it's very difficult to tell the difference between the original design and a knock-off. And it's getting harder all the time.
The exhibit's entry features two suits--one a 1966 original day suit by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (France),
day suit (left) and a licensed copy made in the US in 1967. So what's the difference? According to the information plaque, the differences are in the sewing techniques, the lining and the waistband.
Even more interesting to me than the side-by-side originals and copies, was considering the pieces as design possibilities. For example, the late 18th century Jean-Baptiste Huet original L'Hommage de L'Amerique a la France, at right, has a stunning little bolero-type jacket, but check out the free-standing lace on the sleeve's underside seam.
'Massclusivity'
Two Missoni dresses illustrate the 'massclusivity' trend in which high-end designers partner with mass-market retailers to extend their name and styles downstream. The 2003 Italian-made version is displayed next to a dress that was part of a 400-piece limited edition collaboration between Missoni and Target in 2011. The 'look' is certainly similar, but the fabrics and knitting techniques distinguish the high quality original.
The other exhibit, Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning The ’70s, was nostalgic. Their names alone conjures up images of the era's styles. Cleaner, crisper lines, for one. The exhibit focuses on shared themes, one of which was the influence of menswear on women's fashion.
Faking It: Originals, Copies, and Counterfeits is on view through April 25, 2015.
Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning The ’70s is on view through April 18, 2015.
