Monday, September 14, 2015

Icelandic Laid and Couched work

As part of my approach to an Expert panel in Laid and Couched work, I am looking into the Icelandic style, known as refilsaumur.  It is a surface couching very similar to Bayeux work, with the difference that the background is also worked.

The article, Traditional Icelandic Embroidery by Elsa E. Gudjonsson is my primary source for information on this work.  It appeared in Reykajavic Icelandic Review in 1982 and is available on line at Scribd.  The article was expanded into a book  which, while it has a listing on Amazon, is out of stock and rarely available -- I'll be seeking to borrow a copy through Inter Library Loan.

Photo from Amazon.com

My plan is to do a motif based on those seen on this altar frontal. While this was a religious piece, I will probably use a secular theme. 
Photo from http://medieval.webcon.net.au/loc_scandinavia_iceland.html
A clearer look at the work would help, there will be some research done soon.  

Sorry for the short post today -- I've been head down into some projects which will be the subject of October posts, after the projects have been seen.
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2 comments:

  1. RavenSeptember 14, 2015 at 10:30 PM

    If you want close ups of anything, I might have some. The embroidery gallary in the Icelandic National Museum is dim but I was able to get pictures.

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    1. Kandy/ElizabetSeptember 15, 2015 at 6:33 AM

      That would be lovely. Oh, wait.... Those the photos you had in Cleveland? I think I have some of those.... I'll check, and thanks for the reminder :)

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