truly authentic figures...?

(Above) The 2 figures in the center are based on Old Russian nesting dolls (left) and Japanese netsuke figures (right side). Neither of them will make the final cut into the Opus Angelicanum frame. Why? Because I’ve come to realize that they are not authentic to the material.

The 2 figures (Above, right) were made based on actual Paracas Textile figures. The original were stitched in wool, as are mine. But the original nesting dolls were wooden. Netsutke are carved from ivory. Neither of my stitched versions are faithful to their sources.

So, yes, I started over, again….creating figures based on the figures of other cultures, sewn in the style of those cultures.

first: KANTHA EMBROIDERY

(Above) Kantha is a style of embroidery from India. It involves making tightly spaced running stitches. On the left is the Kantha figure which I copied (right). The inset shows a detail of the stitches. I really should have included the head she’s holding in one hand…The blue strip on the side is Indian fabric which I dyed for the background of my Kantha figure.

https://strandofsilk.com/journey-map/west-bengal/kantha-embroidery/production-technique will tell you all about Kantha.

next: ARPILLERAS AND HMONG STORY CLOTHS

from Wiki: (Above, left) An arpillera is a patchwork picture handsewn by women. The construction of arpilleras became popular in Chile during the military dictatorship (1973–90) of Augusto Pinochet. Arpilleras were made in workshops organized by a committee of the Chilean Catholic Church and then secretly distributed abroad. Arpilleras (constructed of burlap and cloth scraps) depicted political themes with scenes of government repression. These scenes served to denounce the human rights violations of the Pinochet regime.

(Above right) The story cloth is a form of modern Hmong embroidery. They feature figurative representation and text (often in English) as well as traditional geometric motifs. These embroideries are designed to present a narrative of refugee life, military occupation, and forced migration from Laos. Other examples depict popular Hmong folktales, creation stories, and historical accounts of traditional Hmong life and culture.

My version is here (Below):

My version combines the Arpilleras and the story cloths. The Arpillera figures are sewn from cloth scraps, blanket-stitched to the wool. I printed out tiny photos for the women to hold (showing the people who had been disappeared). The Hmong figures are embroidered with similar stitches, but more muted colors.

next: NAVAJO WEAVING, INUIT APPLIQUE AND SARAWAK BEADING

Above, left to right) Although originally Navajo weavings were monochromatic geometric patterns, they evolved to include more colors and figural elements. This website has a short, lovely explanation: https://www.britannica.com/art/Navajo-weaving

I was delighted to find some wonderful wool felt appliques by Canadian Inuit artist Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq, and copied one for the Opus. There’s no site that shows her art to my satisfaction - but please, do yourself a favor and copy & paste her name into a Google search, click on images, and you’ll find a treasure of lively inventive images. Go ahead - she’s making better art than I do!  

   The last figure is a detail of a Kain Mamik- a ceremonial beaded skirt worn by the Maloh people of Sarawak, in Malasia.

(Below) my pitiful attempts to master their techniques. Behind the beaded fellow is a copy from a Japanese print.

next: TIMBUWARRA AND MOLAS

(Below, left) The timbuwarra is a type of ritual figure produced by the Wiru people of Papua New Guinea. Timbuwarra figures are generally made of rattan and painted, and are generally held to be associated with fertility rites and with the spirit world.My timbuwarra is made of twine wrapped around wire, and they are holding hands with a mola.

(Above) The figure on the right side is from a mola, a textile art form practiced by the women on the San Blas Islandsoff the coast of Panama. My figure is reconstructed from parts of an actual mola. So she is perfectly authentic….but that means I can’t use this figure (Below) who is NOT authentic, but very very appealing. The figure below (made before I came to this new realization) is BASED on a mola image, but I embroidered the design. Real molas are constructed with layers of then cloth, which is carefully cut away and stitched to reveal the layers underneath the top cloth. I keep arguing with myself, wanting to include this embroidered version….but she doesn’t align with my aims. I’ve spent a whole damn year pushing for truth in this Opus, and…. and she does not fit.

next: ISLAMIC POTTERY AND RUSSIAN EMBROIDERY

Nishapur, a city in Iran, fell under Islamic rule around 651 and became a city of flourishing arts and crafts. Around the 10th century, they created a type of figural pottery called buff ware (Below, left)

Elizabeth Barber’s book “Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years” gives a full, deep explanation of Russian embroidery figures. These figures represent the Slavic goddess Berehina and similar designs are seen carved into ancient stone. .

(Below) Yes, I know, my Nashapur figure is not stitched - it’s pottery. But there is very little Islamic figural art, so I decided to include her. She’s carrying a plate to indicate her design origins.

next: ADIRE STENCILED TEXTILES

Adire is a traditional textile craft made and worn by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Derived from the Yoruba words, adi (to tie) and re (to dye), Adire means tie and dye. The original versions were indigo-dyed and decorated with resist patterns. This website https://tdsblog.com/adire/ will tell you all about it…..and if you read to the end, you will find this information:

… some changes were introduced in the Adire production process. For starters, technological advancements gave men their opportunity to join the craft. The 1930s introduced the sewing machine and zinc stencils into Adire production. It was common belief in society that women weren’t capable to run such innovations and was better left to the men. For example, the hand sewing on the Adire Alabere was done by women but if a sewing machine was to be used, a man would have to take over.

(Above) On the left is a section of an Adire zinc stencil. On the right is a stencil which I painstakingly cut with an exacto knife. I cut 4 of them, in fact, before I got one I liked.

next: CANDELERIA WEAVING and TLINGIT HALDA BUTTON BLANKETS

The village of Candelaria in Bolivia is known for it’s fine weaving. My weaving attempt STINKS. It will be cut out and replaced. But look at the inset on the far left side.The weavers used a hand symbol that I have never seen before -with 2 middle fingers forming a Y.

I did better with the Tlingit Button Blanket.

Tlingit Haida Button Blankets were created by natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast. This website https://textilesincontext.net/tag/haida/ explains it well.

OK, still stitching away on this. Next week either more Opus or back to cartography. I’m working awfully close to posting here, so who knows?