Thun- Tapestries in Surprising Places

I visited Thun castle in 2000, with my husband, in-laws and kids, but I don't remember seeing any tapestries there.

A few weeks ago my Swedish friend was visiting and we decided to take the lake cruise to Thun, stopping off at Schloss Oberhofen on the way. It's an adorable little castle right on the lake.

Arriving at the larger and more impressive Thun castle, we discovered that it has been modernized, with spiffy new galleries to exhibit various collections. Most of the time, I would rather just see old castle walls, but in this case, I was pleasantly surprised to find three different tapestries.

The first was a part of the spoils of the 1476 battle of Grandson, where the Swiss defeated Charles the Bold (also known as Charles the Rash), the last Duke of Burgundy.

Charles carried treasures of gold, jewelry and tapestries with him to the battle, and the so called "Burgundian Booty," was divided up among various museums in Switzerland.

The most famous are the tapestries at the Historical Museum in Bern, woven in Tournai. I have tried to see them twice, but always seem to arrive when the gallery is closed. (I'll try again soon) You can read more about them on a previous blog post here.

NOTE: click on the images to see them larger.

The tapestry at Thun castle is a very large fragmented piece which is mostly heraldic. I did not find it all that interesting.

One thing I love about tapestries in Switzerland, they always seem to be framed under glass, so I can get as close as I like without any alarms going off!

Photographing through the glass is a bit tricky though, and flash is not allowed, so please forgive the quality of the images.


The second tapestry at Thun Castle is the "Medallion Tapestry," woven in Switzerland in the early 14th Century. Like many Swiss tapestries of the period, it was used on the front of an altar.

The central figure is St Maurice, the patron saint of Thun. Around him are medallions of symbolic animals (including those that represent the saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

This medallion is a combination of dragon and horse, with a lion's tail.

At first I thought it was a griffin, but when I looked it up, I couldn't find any imaginary animal with these attributes.


The third and most fascinating tapestry at Thun Castle is the "Crescent Moon Madonna." Woven in Basel, 1425-1440, it represents the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, standing on the crescent moon in front of the sun.

This tapestry was donated to the Scherzligen Church in 1450, by Anna von Velschen, the wealthiest woman in Bern, in memory of her husband, who had been mayor of Thun before dying at an early age.

Apparently the gift would guarantee him eternal salvation.


I assume that it is his face we see sticking out from under the Virgin Mary's dress?











I find the weaving style to be charming, the facial expressions, the way the hair and textiles are woven, the lack of perspective (particularly in St Maurice's feet, which look like they are on the wrong legs!)

St Maurice in full armour, next to the Van Velschen coat of arms.

St Anthony, the hermit, with his staff and little bell.

Mary Magdalene, on the left, with angels lifting her up. It is common for medieval representations of Mary Magdalene to show her naked but covered in long hair. According to legends, she was sustained in the desert by angels who lifted her up and fed her manna from heaven.

On the right is St Catherine with her crown, sword and martyr's wheel.

Abegg Stiftung - A Hidden Gem

The first time I came to Switzerland to stay for a while, I asked some experts where I should go to look at tapestry, and they all said "Abegg!"

Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations for 2 years. This time my luck has changed and it is reopened, with a gorgeous museum, and an amazing permanent exhibition.

Although it’s not very far away from where we are staying, it took 2 trains and 2 busses to get to this elegant museum on a green hill in Riggisberg, in the canton of Bern.

Swiss born Werner Abegg began collecting early: goldsmithing, sculpture, painting, ceramics and intaglio, as well as antique Egyptian tapestries, medieval silk fabrics and 18^th Century “bizarre” silks.  He and his American wife, Margaret, spent part of each year in NY, and later collected Pre-Columbian Peruvian textiles. The Abeggs donated their collections to the foundation in the early 1960s.

Since Werner's death in 1984, the foundation has continued to add textiles to the collection. The foundation is primarily a research institute, which publishes scholarly treatises, and has a textile conservation workshop, which offers a degree course in Textile Conservation and Restoration.  

Because photography is prohibited, I purchased a number of postcards, and a very informative book:

 

Treasures of the Abegg-Stiftung, Catherine Depeirraz  ISBN 3-905014-22-X

The first item in the book, and the oldest, is a double-headed Hacilar vessel from what is now southwestern Turkey, from the 6^th millennium BC.  

I also loved a small bronze statue of Horus the falcon, from Egypt. Being familiar with a larger one at the MFA in Boston, it was like running into an old friend. I was charmed with the manner of his display, as he was standing there looking wistfully out the window....an unusual stance in a museum, but so appropriate for a bird who was considered the God of the Sky.

A piece that many textile people would "ooh" and "aah" over is the 3D Cross-knit looped decorative trim from Peru, 1st-3rd Century AD. The colors are still bright, and the hummingbirds and flowers intact.

I am familiar with small Coptic tapestries that were woven as decorative details for garments, and we saw some excellent examples, but I had never seen or heard of large tapestry wall hangings from Egypt like the ones at Abegg.

Dionysus, (Egypt, 4th C, linen and wool) is 210 cm high and 700 cm wide (after reconstruction: the fragments are stitched to a background fabric).  It shows 8 figures standing under decorated arches, including Dionysus and his love, Ariadne.

It is very finely woven, and most of the colors are still bright. It was found buried in sand in the Egyptian desert. You can see an image of it, from a distance, in this excellent article from Hali (along with a detail of the next item).

(LEFT: Dionysus detail)

I was surprised and delighted by a large tapestry of winged horses, (Egypt, 4th-5th C) because of its still vibrant red wool warp, which matched the background weft.  Parts of this tapestry are a bright white, which made me wonder if those areas could be cotton. Bright white wool is very hard to come by, and often yellows with time....but wouldn't cotton have rotted? A mystery...

There is a case with 8 exquisite small tapestry fragments, from clothing. One fragment from a neckline trim (Egypt, 3rd-4th century), is only 20 cm high, by 31 cm wide, yet it includes images of hunters with weapons, flowers, lions. This piece has lost all of the red wool background weft, possibly due to substances in the red dye, but the delicacy of the images is still evident.

“Spring and Summer,” (Egypt, 3rd-4th C, about 10x10” each, wool) is two pieces from a set of 4 small tapestries of the seasons, very finely woven. Click on the link for a photo.

(LEFT: Elijah, detail)

A large hanging titled Elijah (linen and wool, Egypt, 4th - 6th C, 309 x 344 cm) is like nothing I have seen before. It shows scenes from the Old Testament, all rendered in brightly colored, coarse wool, looped pile on a natural linen background.

(RIGHT: Central Asian Skirt fragment, detail)

This large fragment of a skirt (Central Asia, 3rd-1^st century BC, Wool, 51cm x 102.5 cm) is bright red fabric top and bottom, with a tapestry border of stylized animals between. The catalog says that it “ appears to originate from a small independent pastoral culture that can be only very loosely associated with other known Eurasian steppe cultures.” 

In addition to the impressive collection, the way it is displayed could not be better. The obvious attention to detail in every aspect of this museum is astonishing. It may be inconvenient, but it should be on all your lists of places you hope to visit someday.

NOTE: Click on an image to see it larger

UNTITLED/UNJURIED: the exhibit

Finally the show was hung, and the reception was held, during Convergence. The gallery director said that 500 people attended!!! It was mobbed. Gallery Night Providence provided 2 "Textile Tour Busses," and each was full. My feet were so tired after standing for over 4 hours, but it was absolutely a blast, getting to see so many friends, old and new.

There is still time to see it, until August 8, at the URI Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery, 80 Washington St, Providence, RI.

So now I have edited my photos, and here they are. Bad news, there will be no video - it turns out that I am a TERRIBLE videographer, and you would all be seasick if you watched it. For those who were not able to visit the gallery in person, I hope this gives you an idea of what the exhibit looks like.

The tapestries are wired onto black foam core panels, of which there are 39. Then the panels are screwed onto the carpet walls. I think the brown walls and black panels are very flattering to the tapestries, which stand out from the dark background like jewels.

(NOTE: Click on the photos to see them in a larger size)

Below: View from the stairs

The gallery has 2 entrances, so we put a title on the first wall at each side, as well as wall text describing the exhibit itself, and its sponsor, the American Tapestry Alliance. The gallery is in the main hallway of a very busy urban university. The building itself is historic, it was the Shepard's Department Store. On the walls around our exhibit you can see tapestries that are part of the TWiNE 2014 exhibit, which includes 61 tapestries, and extends from the hallway, up the stairs, into the upstairs hallway and gallery.

Below: Damascus Fiber Arts School, "Bugs: All Dressed Up" 

About half of the 219 entries are in one of  the 10 group challenges, and there is a description of each group hanging on or next to their panel. Unfortunately you may not be able to read the descriptions in these photos, so if you want to know more, I recommend purchasing the catalog.

Left: Wall 2: Christina Rasmussen's tapestry "Learning to Fly"

Tough choice, so many wonderful entries; this tapestry and its title seemed right to go with the description, as for many artists, this is the first show they have entered.

Below: Central Virginia Tapestry Group, "Virginia Blues." (top left) As Catarinas, "Monogram." (bottom left) Spanish Peaks Tapestry Group, "Reflections of John Mendoza" (right)

Below: Las Aranas and Las Tejedoras Tapestry Groups, "Alphabet Soup"

Below: Wednesday Group, "Pear Project" (left) 

Tapestry Artists of Puget Sound (TAPS), "unTAPped" (right)

Left: Seaside Weavers Tapestry Group, "What's My Line?"

What happens when you draw one line, and it divides the tapestry into a white half and a black half?

Left: Individual tapestries. The vertical panels are for the smaller tapestries, and fit on the smaller walls.

So many lovely shades of blue and green, very fitting for the Ocean State: that's the nickname for Rhode Island - actually the complete name is "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations!"

Right: Individual tapestries, including lots of pink and purple, and a variety of textures.

(Remember you can click on the photo to see it larger)

Below: Individual tapestries with handspun/hand-dyed yarns, and other interesting materials.

Left: Small tapestries in lovely earth tones. 

The tapestry on the bottom right, "Still Life with Fruit #2," by Beverly Muir, is a shaped tapestry mounted on a black frame.

Below: Weavers Guild of Greater Baltimore, "Titled/Unjuried."

This tapestries are inspired by book titles. I wonder if you can guess any of them?

Below: TWiNE (Tapestry Weavers in New England), "All Over New England"

Below: Individual Entries. The panel on the bottom left includes silkworm cocoons and a plastic Barbie doll leg.

Below: Individual Entries. Linda Whiting's "Crayon Sheep" in the middle of the top panel sets the tone for the vibrant colors on this wall. Pamela Palma's "Enaray" in the lower middle of the right panel includes shredded currency ($100 bills?) and strips of plastic Target shopping bags.

Left: Individual entries, some quite small. There is now a DO NOT TOUCH sign on the left, but I forgot to stick it on until after I took the photo.

Below: Individual entries. This is the end wall at the other entrance to the building. I love how these earthy reds all go together, and set off the neutral black/gray/white below. The little bits of green add a nice accent to the whole grouping.

Below: a photo showing the layout of the walls. This is only half of the gallery, and you can't see all the walls as some are behind others. There are a total of 14 walls. Behind these free standing carpet walls are very tall windows, so there is beautiful natural light. Don't worry, no direct sun, as the street outside is very narrow.

Below: the other half of the gallery

My Convergence Exhibits

So many shows to participate in, I couldn't resist. So I have pieces in four shows that are up during Convergence.

UNTITLED/UNJURIED: small format tapestry 2014
URI Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery
80 Washington St, Providence, RI
Through August 8th. Reception Thursday, July 17, 5-9pm

(below) My tapestry "Over Block Island"

I am the exhibit chair for the 10th iteration of this wonderful exhibit, sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance. We have 219 tapestries from 13 countries and 31 US states. You can read more about it on my previous blog post, and see some sample tapestries. Full color catalogs are available on the ATA website.

(above) Damascus Fiber Arts School, group entry "Bugs, All Dressed Up"

TWiNE 2014: a juried exhibition

URI Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery

80 Washington St, Providence, RI

Through August 8, reception July 17, 5-9.

This show, juried by renowned weaver Barbara Herbster, includes work by 18 members of Tapestry Weavers in New England. I have 5 pieces in the show. Two are from the Chaos series, which can be seen here. The other three are a triptych called "Red and Green Apples." (photo left)

Small Expressions

Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA

Through October 5, reception August 3, 1-4

An annual exhibit of fiber art, 15 inches or less, sponsored by Handweavers Guild of America. This year the juror was Gerhardt Knodel.  I am honored to have my small tapestry included. "Mini-Chaos"(photo left)

Weaving Traditions of the Ocean State  

Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Ave,  Pawtucket, RI

Through July 20

An exhibition by the Weavers Guild of RI, in Slater Mill’s Sylvanus Brown house.  Celibrates the heritage of hand weaving in RI  10-4 daily, part of the tour, or exhibit only admission of $5.  

(above) "Brushneck Cove"

Untitled/Unjuried: small format tapestry 2014

July 8th - August 8th, 2014. 
University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery
Opening reception: July 17, 5-9pm.

Since the last time I posted, I have received 219 tapestries in the mail. It was so exciting to open all the packages and see the tapestries. The next thing was to figure out how they will all be arranged on the panels for the exhibit. That was a lot of fun, trying to decide which ones will look best together. When the show is up, I will take photos so if you can't make it to the exhibit, you can see how they look.

[For more info about this exhibit, read the 2 previous entries on this blog]

Last week I saw a sample of the catalog, which was designed by Lindsey Marshall. She did a great job with the design, and the sample looked really good.  I can't wait to see the final catalog! Every artist who entered the exhibit will get a complimentary copy, and it will be available for sale on the ATA website. There are also catalogs from previous exhibits available for purchase. I find them very useful for inspiration and for research.

Here (with the artists' permission) is a preview of some of the tapestries that will be in the exhibit:
(you can click on the photo to see it larger)

Stephnie Cantoni, Australia. "No Name - No Status - No Justice - The Refugee"

Aliona Carpov, Morocco. "Reflection"

Sandy Kennard, Oregon, USA. "Butterfly: Opus 3"

photo credit: Terry Olson

Christine Rivers, Canada. "Unspoiled"

Marie-Thumette Brichard, France. "Sans Titre"

Untitled/Unjuried Update: The Numbers

The entry deadline for Untitled/Unjuried: Small Format Tapestry 2014 was January 31. It took me a few weeks to get an accurate count, because we had some duplicate online entries, and had to add in the paper entries as well.

Since it was a "postmark" deadline, we expected to receive a few entries in the following week, but I was surprised when one arrived on February 19th! It was from Brazil.

The final count is (drumroll!)   241 entries from:

13 countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, UK, and USA

6 continents - Australia, South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa

33 US states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

4 Canadian Provinces - Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The deadline for the actual tapestries to arrive is March 31. There are only 16 more days, and I still expect about 220 tapestries!  I'd better start getting 13 or more every day, or the last few days will be CRAZY! I have already warned my mail carrier.

One tapestry that will not have to go through the mail is my own. It is inspired by a photograph I took from my husband's tiny airplane, over Block Island. I am working diligently to finish it. (this is a detail)