Ikat cloth from East Sumba, Indonesia, 1980-2000 (TRC 2022.0893).The last few days saw the TRC staff cataloguing the last of the Amsel Collection from Paris. It includes some 500 items that come from various groups living in Romania and Hungary, as well as various other countries.
In addition, a few weeks ago we were given over sixty Indonesian textiles by the Zant family in Amsterdam. They travelled throughout Indonesia between 1970-2005 and bought numerous ikats and other textiles. These well-documented pieces can be found via the TRC Database. The Zant textiles will be used to make an online reference collection for Indonesian ikats. This week several more ikats, plus two ikat looms will be picked up from the Zant family. A number of these ikats will be displayed in our forthcoming exhibition on ikats from around the world.
And then yesterday, Tuesday 29th, some even more interesting and diverse things were happening! The morning was spent setting up a false wall in the TRC Gallery to hide the extra racks needed for the Arizona collection that was due to arrive at any moment and which we have been looking forward to for months.
The wall actually has proved very useful for displaying a mini-exhibition that is not only about regional embroidery, but also has a story that will resonate with many. On display are three examples of Mapula embroidery from South Africa. One of the embroideries tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s funeral, while another one reflects on what the Covid crisis did to one young man and his family. The third embroidery is totally different and includes different types of local animal life.
Mapula embroidery from South Africa, 2021 (TRC 2021.2542).
We also nearly finished another mini-exhibition, about Western influences on Japanese clothing. Some of the items are very obvious, Mickey Mouse on a child’s kimono, or a Mondriaan print on an adult garment. Other influences are more subtle, such as an extended arm hole to accommodate the large sleeve of a kimono.
At lunch time we heard that the Arizona collection would be arriving between 13.30 and 14.00 and yes, just before 14.00 a very long van stopped just in front of the TRC. Two moving men and four active TRC colleagues emptied the van within ten minutes. Then came the work of putting away more than half of the boxes (unopened despite the temptation to open everything). The other boxes are in the Gallery and over the next month or so we will be tagging, cataloguing, photographing the items (c. 1200 items from mainly Albania, but also including items from all over the world) before they go into special boxes in the depot and made available online.
A bit overwhelming perhaps. Arrival of transport from Arizona, Tuesday 29th March 2022. Photograph by AJ Salter.
We will be having an open day on Sunday the 24th April when visitors will be welcome to come and see a selection of items from the Paris and Arizona collections and to hear about the reasons of accepting the collections, the steps involved in processing the textiles, and, of course, what they could and will mean for the TRC and Leiden.
Which brings me to one last thing that took place on Tuesday. We started talks with Leiden Management about a Fashion Day that will take place on Saturday 28th May at various locations here in Leiden. The TRC has lots of ideas with respect to possible pop-up and mini exhibitions, for instance about men’s detachable shirt collars (!), but also for lectures and workshops. We will let you know what happens.
Gillian Vogelsang, 30 March 2022
