Monday, February 23, 2009

Historical Beadwork ~ Smocking, Embroidery, Weaving

two rabbits, historical beadwork, vintage bead embroidery, Robin Atkins collection
This post is about a mystery... one I've pondered for a long time. Below you will see some precious fragments from beaded clothing. Some of it may be more than 100 years old! The mystery concerns the origins. Maybe one of you knows the answer.... And if you don't, just enjoy seeing it!

I bought this collection at a flea market in Seattle in 1992 or so. The seller told me he had bought it from a sidewalk peddler in Mexico City. The peddler and he did not have a language in common, so he learned nothing about them.

In each set, the first picture, the one with the rule, will be approximately the actual size when you click to enlarge it. The other, detail pictures will be larger than actual size so that you can see exactly how this beautiful work is done. When you click to enlarge you can just about see every thread! I'll show them in sets and make a few comments about the techniques and materials for each set.

two rabbits, historical beadwork, vintage bead embroidery, Robin Atkins collection
rabbit, historical beadwork, vintage bead embroidery, detail, Robin Atkins collection
I believe these little rabbits may have been part of a sampler, or possibly a practice piece. The fabric is a fine, even-weave cotton or linen and appears to be homespun. The technique seems to be like counted-thread, slanted Gobelin needlepoint embroidery, worked on the diagonal across three threads of the fabric. There are 21 beads in a one-inch line or 441 beads per square inch. I think the beads are size 20 or 22. The size and colors of the beads suggest that this piece may be from the late 1800s or early 1900s.

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
This piece may be the oldest of the lot. The fabric is dark from age and there is much damage to the threads and fabric, which appear to be cotton or linen. Here the technique is bead-embellished lines of running stitches which tightly pleat the fabric. There are about 40 pleats per linear inch. Up to 20 beads per inch are added every other pleat according to the pattern. The same thread gathers and adds beads. There are 15 rows (top to bottom) of gathering stitches per inch.

The beads used on this piece are slightly larger than the ones used on the rabbit piece. I'd say they are a mixture of 20s and 18s. It looks as though the stitches are counted with two threads per stitch. And the rows alternate whether the stitch is on front or the back. I think the technique may be some type of smocking, although I can't find it in the on-line guides to smocking stitches. The band at the top is back-stitched with thread, making a pattern visible on both sides of the piece.

The design seems European, perhaps Transylvanian in origin. There is a suggestion of folk art to the design.

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Victorian floral design, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Victorian floral design, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Victorian floral design, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Victorian floral design, Robin Atkins collection
This piece amazes me. Like the one above, the fabric is smocked with rows of horizontal running stitches. One bead is added per stitch. There are 34 pleats per inch, 17 beads per linear inch, 18 rows per vertical inch or 306 beads per square inch. The design again seems European, typical of the late Victorian Era.

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
This piece is the same smocking technique, with even smaller beads. Here there are 50 pleats and 25 beads per linear inch. The beads are so small they look like little grains of finely ground pepper. I think they're about size 22 or 24. There are 22 rows per inch, which makes 550 beads per square inch! The bottom is hand-hemmed. Might this have been the cuff on the sleeve of a blouse?

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, Robin Atkins collection
This piece of beaded smocking has 16 beads per linear inch. The bird and berry design may be a bit more recent than the previous examples, but could still be European.

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, deer and flowers design, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, deer and flowers design, Robin Atkins collection
This deer and flower design has the look of Latin America to me. The beads are a little larger than in the above example, with 15 per inch.

historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, llama and flower design, Robin Atkins collection
historical beadwork, smocking, shirring, pleatwork, llama and flower design, Robin Atkins collection
This piece seems much more recent to me. The fabric may be homespun cotton or possibly machine made. The hem is machine stitched, unlike all the other pieces which are totally hand stitched. The beads are probably size 13. There are 13 beads per linear inch. This llama (or alpaca design) seems to be Latin American.

vintage bead embroidery, dog design, Robin Atkins collection
vintage bead embroidery, dog design, Robin Atkins collection
vintage bead embroidery, dog design, Robin Atkins collection
vintage bead embroidery, leaf detail, Robin Atkins collection
vintage bead embroidery, border detail, Robin Atkins collection
This piece is a real mystery. What part of the garmet was it from? The technique, like the rabbit piece, seems to be counted-thread stitching. The beads are quite small, mostly size 18. I have no sense of the design origin, especially the coloring of the dog. The thread, like the home-spun fabric, is either cotton or linen. I love this design, so I've shown some of the details. Isn't the leaf great?!

vintage off-loom bead weaving, Robin Atkins collection
vintage off-loom bead weaving, Robin Atkins Collection
This is one of two pieces in the collection that use a different technique. The strips of beadwork are done with an off-loom weaving technique. I'm not sure what the weaving method is... perhaps a type of brick stitch. The woven strip is used as a seam embellishment, with a piece of fabric whip-stitched to each edge of the strip. The beads are quite tiny... size 18 or 20.

vintage off-loom bead weaving, Robin Atkins Collection
This last piece in the collection is so tattered... It's done the same way as the one above with size 20 or 22 beads woven into strips and sewn along the edges to home-spun fabric. I'm intrigued by the design because each strip is a different pattern. What part of a garmet could this be from? It seems to have been sewn to an adjoining pleated or smocked piece.

That's it. Aren't these amazing? My theory is that they are all from some village in Mexico or South America (maybe Guatemala) where a group of Eastern (?) Europeans settled at the turn of the century. The women in this group embellished clothing with these three techniques using tiny glass seed beads they brought with them. They taught their children and the tradition was passed down for several generations. Initially the designs were familiar, floral designs of Europe. But over time, they began to use local motifs. What do you think about my theory? Or do you, perhaps, have more concrete knowlege about this work? If you know someone in the know, please call their attention to this post... This mystery needs to get solved!

Thanks for looking!

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Feb. 24, 2009

I've just learned what is probably the correct name for this type of smocking from Barbara Meger, who does a lot of smocking and is a member of EGA. She thinks this is a type of pleatwork called Italian shirring, which unlike other forms of smocking is not intended to stretch. Here's something I found on this website that may interest you.

"Shirred fabric is a form of fabric manipulation. Modernly it is a form of smocking called Italian smocking or Italian shirring. Shirring runs the gathering threads in a way that creates designs in the pleats as they are gathered. An alb, credited to be that of St. Bernulf, dating from the 11th century is possibly the earliest form of this technique. A second alb that of Thomas Beckett’s from the 12th century also has this form of shirring in the pleated gores. It does not seem to be a common technique during the next 400 years. It is not noticeably seen in portraiture, nor does it show up in the few extant garments until the end of the 16th century/ early 17th century . One example dating 1600-1650 is on a men’s Italian shirt, currently in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art."

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Feb. 24, 2009

The Lone Beader wrote a comment to this post suggesting that I donate this historical beadwork (I love that term for it!) to a deserving museum. That's exactly what I intend to do! I'm considering the The Textile Museum in Washington DC.

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April 2, 2009

From a couple of books and this site, I have learned that these fragments very likely originated in the Cholula-Atlixco-Puebla Valley region of Mexico and were constructed by Nahua natives. Check this picture...

Mexican blouse from Pueblo region, Field Museum collection
Notice the side panel and it's similarity to the panel pictured above with the pink dog? The mystery seems to be solved at last!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Beads, Buttons, Hearts...

Happy Valentine's Day!

bead embroidery, Bead Journal Project, by Robin Atkins
Last year for my February Bead Journal Project, I made a Valentine for Little Robin. If you'd like to read more about it, see this post.

This year, guess what I'm doing... a Valentine for Big Robin! I got a late start this month and haven't gotten much done yet. This is how it looks so far.

bead embroidery by Robin Atkins, bead journal project, Feb. in progress
I'm inspired to write this post by visiting Pat's Bird Nest on the Ground blog and seeing her lovely heart quilt in today's Valentine post and a charming heart-shaped door decoration in an earlier post. Like Pat, I frequently use hearts in my work. I doodle hearts... always have.

Below is a little wall quilt, Grandpa's Gifts, I made about 15 years ago. It's a tribute to my grandfather, who was a collector of many things including buttons. A favorite childhood memory is of watching him compare, sort and label items in his collections... especially the buttons.

patchwork quilt by Robin Atkins
My brother and I inherited his button collection (which was actually started by HIS great aunt in England in the mid 1800's). Some of the buttons were on cards, carefully labeled in my grandmother's distinct penmanship. Others were strung on a long wire, maybe 20 feet of buttons, many of which are pretty awesome!

I can't recall now what sparked me to make a quilt using some of the buttons. While making it, I remember thinking a lot about my grandfather and his personality. He was a superintendent of schools (Amador County in California) and before that a math teacher. He placed a high value on education and knowledge. A little gruff-seeming, he did not let us talk or play near him when he was working. He would, however, allow me to stand quietly next to his desk and watch. Despite his exterior reserve, I always felt cherished by him... and loved him in return. You might think of this quilt as an abstract portrait of him... cool exterior, warm inside.

Charles H Atkins
This is a picture of him. Charles H. Atkins. Maybe later today I'll find, scan and post a picture of him and my grandmother, Martha Tompkin, taken when they were courting. They're so cute and the photo is so appropriate for Valentine's Day. [3 pm note: I looked for that picture for three hours and didn't find it. I give up for now... rats]

I've been thinking about the heart shape as a symbol. Here is a brief, but fairly good description of it. I want to know more about this symbol and why I am so drawn to it... a subject for further research and contemplation.

In the meantime, may we all have a wonderful Valentine's Day... May we be well-loved... May we open ourselves to as much love as possible!

Friday, February 06, 2009

Thanks to all ~ YOU are blogging angels!

I've been in Seattle visiting a long-time friend for a few days. On returning home this evening, I turned on the 'puter right away to check the BJP blogs. I love it! New posts and links leading me to new and wonderful beaded art. It feeds me... and makes me happy!

wooden angel sculpture
At this very moment, I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, appreciation and love for all of you who make up the blogging community... artists, beaders, quilters, writers, friends... angels gracing my life! The carved wooden angel (pictured above) hangs on a tree in a friend's yard, precious despite fading paint. Thinking about you reminded me of it.

Before starting to write this post, I re-read all the comments on my previous post about my January BJP (Lunar Marriage Dance). How amazing, supportive and perceptive you are!!! It's almost daunting to think that most of us have never met face-to-face and only know each other through brief posts, yet I can sense your knowing and understanding of me. So this post is all about saying "Thank you for being part of my life, for your time and attention, for your support!"

Roman mask
Here's another picture I'd like to share tonight... This is a scan of a picture in an art auction catalog. It's a Roman mask in bronze from the First Century AD. (Read more about this mask here. A similar bronze mask is here.) Wouldn't it be fun to bead both this and the angel????!

PS. Both pictures are clickable for detail.

PSS. Read the comments on this post for ideas-tips-questions for beading the mask and/or angel!