A Museum on the Move: The Art of Oya and Fiber Artist Wearables at theTextile Museum Shop
The art of Oya, a form of crocheting, is on display in the form of necklaces at the Textile Museum's Shop in Washington, DC, as well as the brooches, right. The Turkish Culture's site describes its history:
"Anatolia’s thousand and one species of plants and gaily colored flowers are reborn in the imagination and inner eye of its women. The history of the decorative edging known in Europe as Turkish lace is thought to date back as far as the 8th century B.C. to the Phrygians of Anatolia. Some sources indicate that needlework spread from 12th century Anatolia to Greece and from there via Italy to Europe. Traditionally, the headdresses and scarves women wore on their heads, the printed cloths, and prayer and funeral head coverings were decorated with various kinds of oya, which was also used on undergarments, to adorn outer garments, around the edges of towels and napkins and as a decorative element in many other places. In the Aegean region even men’s headdresses were decked with layers of oya."
"Oya edging, which appears all over Anatolia in various forms and motifs, has different names depending on the means employed: needle, crochet hook, shuttle, hairpin, bead, tassel to name just a few. Sewing needle oya is a variety that was produced by affluent, aristocratic, urban women. The most beautiful examples of such oya, which was usually made with a sewing needle using silk thread, were produced in the Ottoman Palace."
(Editor's Note: A shop and museum, both bricks-and-mortar and online, Lacis, carries many craft books on the varied styles of thread crochet, as well as other needlework techniques, costume and preservation topics. In addition they feature fans, gloves, hair combs, hoop skirts and undergarments, lace costume accessories, parasols and millinery for both men and women.)
The Textile Museum itself is in transit; it will be joining with the George Washington University to become a cornerstone of a new museum scheduled to open in fall 2014 on GW’s main campus in Foggy Bottom. The shop, however, remains open during the move and beginning October 14 will be open Friday - Sundays, 10 am - 5 pm until the end of 2013.
Scarves and shawls are a dominant feature of the shop, with Randall Darwall and other artists' examples for sale, always a effective way to update a 'little black dress' or casual outfit. Wearables include hand-painted items by Dominque Bello featuring a The Serail Secret Garden Jacket and other more elaborate (and pricey) jackets and robes. Fiber artists are well known, displayed in wearable art shows and their work sought after.
Felt handbags and totes from Nepal remain popular, colorful and practical as well as felt roses and mums brooch or hair clips handmade in Kyrgyzstan. Aprons from Malawi and baskets from Senegal are bright as well as practical.
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