Tag: Compound Nalbinding

NOW: Fragment from St. Audoen’s church, Dublin – E497:2428.325

This week I get to share with you the excitement of finding out about a rare find in a church I once visited. Some regions have preserved many finds, but textiles in Ireland are relatively rare and nalbound ones more so. Thus this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week is the second known nalbound artifact from Ireland. The fragments were found in the 12th century occupational debris. Photos have been published this year in Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art by Elizabeth Wincott Heckett if you would like to see them. There’s also a nice diagram in 2006 Archeological Monograph on the excavations.

St Audoen’s Church & Visitor center when we visited on April 27, 2014. Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

Object: Two main fragments. Usage unknown, but possibly a sock or cap.

Description: The larger fragment is 30 cm long by 8 cm high1 showing the remains of 6 rows. The smaller fragment is 6 cm long by 5 cm high2 with remains of 3+ rows. The thickness of both is c. 2mm.3 Original use as a mitten was ruled out as the length of the larger fragment would exceed the circumference appropriate for a mitten and is more suitable for a sock or a piece of a cap.4 There is no evidence of either intentional or wear fulling.5

Dated to: 12th century6 CE

Find location: Found in the 12th century occupation debris associated with timber structures during excavation of St. Audoen’s church, Cornmarket, Dublin, Ireland.7

Material: A dark brown, naturally colored, coarse, perhaps kemp-like, wool. No dye detected. The yarn has been combed and worsted spun in a medium to loose Z spin then two-plied with an S twist. The yarn is 1.5 mm in diameter.8

Stitch(es) used: uo o/u uoo F1 based on analysis of one of the outermost rows of loops.9 (Korgen)

Inventory number: E497:2428.325

Current location: Still tracking that down. The detailed catalog was lodged with the excavation archive in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Some of the items excavated at St Audoen’s remain there on display in their Visitor’s Centre.

Link to museum catalog or other data: none known

Some sources in which more information can be found:

Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. “Textiles” in the Archaeological Finds chapter of St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: Archaeology and Architecture by Mary McMahon. Dublin: The Stationary Office, Government of Ireland, 2006. ISBN 0-7557-7315-2

Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art. Edited by Mary Ann Williams. Cork: Cork University Press, 2025. ISBN 9781782055716

1263

Photographs:

There are two photos by Peter Maloney Ā© The Estate of Elizabeth Wincott Heckett included in Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art: Fig. 15.1 on page 228 and Fig. 15.2 on page 231.

There is also an archeological drawing contained the the archeological monograph, St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: Archaeology and Architecture, by Mary McMahon: Fig. 6.9 on page 74.

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  1. 300 x 80mm. Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. “Textiles” in the Archaeological Finds chapter of St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: Archaeology and Architecture by Mary McMahon. Dublin: The Stationary Office, Government of Ireland, 2006. ISBN 0-7557-7315-2 page 74 and republished in Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art. Edited by Mary Ann Williams. Cork: Cork University Press, 2025. ISBN 9781782055716. pg. 230 ā†©ļøŽ
  2. 60 x 50mm. Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. “Textiles” in the Archaeological Finds chapter of St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: Archaeology and Architecture by Mary McMahon. Dublin: The Stationary Office, Government of Ireland, 2006. ISBN 0-7557-7315-2 page 74 and republished in Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art. Edited by Mary Ann Williams. Cork: Cork University Press, 2025. ISBN 9781782055716. pg. 230 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. “Textiles” in the Archaeological Finds chapter of St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: Archaeology and Architecture by Mary McMahon. Dublin: The Stationary Office, Government of Ireland, 2006. ISBN 0-7557-7315-2 page 75 and republished in Wincott Heckett, Elizabeth. Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, Craft, Art. Edited by Mary Ann Williams. Cork: Cork University Press, 2025. ISBN 9781782055716. pg. 232 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. Ibid. pg. 75, and republished in Ibid. pg. 233 ā†©ļøŽ
  5. Ibid. pg. 75, and republished in Ibid. pg. 231 ā†©ļøŽ
  6. Ibid. pg. 74, and republished in Ibid. pg. 229 ā†©ļøŽ
  7. Ibid. pg. 74, and republished in Ibid. pg. 229 ā†©ļøŽ
  8. Ibid. pg. 75, and republished in Ibid. pg. 232 ā†©ļøŽ
  9. Ibid. pg. 75, and republished in Ibid. pg. 232 ā†©ļøŽ

Nalbinding in ATN 66

Fresh off the presses, we’ve got a new article that includes quite a few nalbound examples; including one I hadn’t seen before!

“Icelandic mittens from archaeological contexts” by Charlotte Rimstad, Ulla Mannering, Joe W. Walser III, Freyja H. Ɠ. SesseljudĆ³ttir and Susanne Mueller includes some very nice photographs of several nalbound mittens; the one found in Iceland and several comparables from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Archaeological Textiles Review 66

When they say click on the image, they mean click on the orange cover image with the pair of mittens on it. That is the only place where the download link is located. I have heard there are some issues with the image loading on some mobile devices.

NOW: ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405

The shape of the cuff of this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week never really fit with the 10th century dating assigned to it when it was found in the late 19th century. Recent radiocarbon dating reveals that the mitten from Iceland is dated to between the late 15th to early 17th centuries CE which makes much more sense given its shaping. As more research is conducted on nalbinding, we begin to get a clearer picture of its usage, distribution, and dating.

ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405 back on display after I examined it.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 1 Sept 2022

Object: Iceland Mitten

Description: The mitten is densely nalbound of a two ply yarn made of wool fibers of two colors and crimps. Overall the mitten is currently a lovely reddish brown, but close examination shows that there are some darker smoother fibers intermittently mixed with lighter brown crimpier fibers bringing to mind the two coated sheep of Iceland. There is some damage to the cuff and a bit near the base of the pinky finger, but overall the mitten is in good condition. The thumb is rather large in comparison to the size of the fingers and lays flat with an extremely neatly worked connection. It is worked from the tip to the cuff. The direction of work spirals in an S slant fashion which gives the appearance of a right to left working direction when observing the current exterior. However, the stitch itself belies the thought that it might have been worked left handed and more likely it has been turned inside out leaving the technical front currently inside.

Dated to: Recently radiocarbon dated to 1480-1640 CE.1 The original dating of the 10th century had been estimated when the mitten was found in the late 19th century and was based on jewelry found nearby.2

Find location: The mitten was found in 1889 when they were digging to build a new house at the farm at ArnheiĆ°arstaĆ°ir in the east of FljĆ³tsdalshĆ©raĆ°, Iceland.3

Material: Wool4 Two-ply with a diameter of just under 1/8th inch (3mm).5

Stitch(es) used: Oslo F1, F1 UO/UOO6 (Stitch determination by Margrethe Hald. Confirmed by Anne Marie Decker during her examination of the mitten on 1 September 2022)

Gauge: 6 stitches to the inch. 1 and 3/4 rows to the inch.7

Inventory number: ƞjms. 3405

Current location: ƞjĆ³Ć°minjasafn ƍslands (National Museum of Iceland)

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=323304

Some sources in which more information can be found:

EldjĆ”rn, KristjĆ”n. “AĆ° sauma sĆ­l og sĆ­a mjĆ³lk.” ĆrbĆ³k Hins Ć­slenzka fornleifafĆ©lags 1960. ReykjavĆ­k 1960, pgs. 48-63.

EldjĆ”rn, KristjĆ”n. “Vattarsaumur.” Hugur og hƶnd. 1. tbl. 1974, bls. 40-42.

EldjĆ”rn, KristjĆ”n. “Vƶttur frĆ” ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum.” HundraĆ° Ć”r Ć­ ƞjĆ³Ć°minjasafni. ReykjavĆ­k 1962, pg. 27.

Hald, Margrethe. ā€œVƶtturin fra Arnheidar-Stƶdumā€ in Arbok Hins islenzka fornleifafĆ©lags, 50. Ć„rgang, 1949-1950, Island, pgs. 73-78 ISSN 0256-8462.

Lehmann-FilhĆ©s, Margarethe. “Zwei IslƤndische Handschuhe” in Zeitschrift fĆ¼r Ethnologie. pgs. 29-30.

Lucas, Rebecca. Two Icelandic Mittens (1896). https://www.medieval-baltic.us/lehmann-filhes-palsson.html Accessed 24 June 2024. Provides an English translation of Margarethe Lehmann-FilhĆ©s’ “Zwei IslƤndische Handschuhe.”

PĆ”lsson, PĆ”lmi. 4. Tveir hanzkar in “Um myndir af gripum Ć­ forngripa-safninu.” ƁrbĆ³k Hins Ć­slenzka fornleifafĆ©lags 10. Reykjavik 1895. pgs. 34-35.

Rimstad, Charlotte, Ulla Mannering, Joe Wallace Walser III, and Susanne Mueller. “ICELANDIC MITTENS” Oral Presentation at the European Association of Archaeologists 29th EAA Annual Meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland,
30 August – 2 September 2023 https://www.e-a-a.org/EAA2023/Programme.aspx?Program=3 click on the Abstract Book (30 Aug) link to find the abstract.

Photographs:

ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 24 Jan 2019
Display including the ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 24 Jan 2019
Anne Marie Decker’s hand comparing size with the ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 24 Jan 2019
Tip of ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405 and thumb.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 24 Jan 2019
ArnheiĆ°arstƶưum Iceland mitten ƞjms. 3405 taken from above to better show the damage to the outer edge.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker – 24 Jan 2019
Photos taken when I first saw the mitten on display in January 2019.

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  1. The museum made the decision to post the recent radiocarbon dating in the online catalog entry for the mitten https://sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=323304 Accessed 27 May 2024. The online catalog entry also contains a link to the testing laboratory’s Report of Radiocarbon Dating Analyses: https://sarpur.is/Uploads/Files/2290209.pdf (Accessed 23 June 2024). The dating was presented in the Icelandic Mittens presentation given by Charlotte Rimstad et. al. at the European Association of Archaeologists 29th annual meeting in Belfast in 2023 which was apparently not recorded, but the dating is noted in the Abstract for the presentation (pg. 1079 of linked pdf). Apparently an article will be forthcoming in an issue of the Norwegian Textile Review this summer or fall. ā†©ļøŽ
  2. Hald, Margrethe. ā€œVƶtturin fra Arnheidar-Stƶdumā€ in Arbok Hins islenzka fornleifafĆ©lags, 50. Ć„rgang, 1949-1950, Island, pgs. 73-78 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=323304 Accessed 27 May 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. https://sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=323304 Accessed 27 May 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  5. Wool diameter determined by Anne Marie Decker during her examination on 1 Sept 2022. ā†©ļøŽ
  6. Hald, Margrethe. ā€œVƶtturin fra Arnheidar-Stƶdumā€ in Arbok Hins islenzka fornleifafĆ©lags, 50. Ć„rgang, 1949-1950, Island, pg. 75. ISSN 0256-8462. ā†©ļøŽ
  7. Stitch gauge determined by Anne Marie Decker during her examination on 1 Sept 2022. ā†©ļøŽ

Research brings new insights

One of the best things about researching any topic is that continued research will always bring further insights; be that greater clarity on a particular detail, proof of a particular theory, proof that a particular hypothesis was wrong, correcting a technique misidentification, new design details, new stitches, new dating, and more artifacts to examine. Hypotheses get developed and sometimes they are supported and possibly proven. Sometimes they are disproved and new hypotheses are born.

Add to that, things that are true of our modern esthetics in the craft may prove to be constant throughout the historical record, or they may prove to be recent inventions. Care should always be taken to ensure that we are not making assumptions, even based on our prior knowledge, and allowing our biases to hide the new data. Insights may come from the most unexpected sources and even experts can be proven wrong. I have had thousands of theories that have been made or dashed with arrival of new data. It’s exciting!

I’ve discussed several examples of this process on this blog previously,1 but today, I’d like to add a few additional examples.

Direction of work:

Nalbinding is predominately worked left to right, regardless of whether the work is dependent from the working row or hung above. Both of which leave telltale, but different, signs in the resultant fabric. Obviously, there are exceptions: lefthanded people often work in the opposite direction, and of course, there is the option of an esthetic choice to work in the non-dominant direction for a variety of reasons; including opposing spirals or flat work for example.

So the question becomes, how often do we see nalbinding worked in the non-dominant direction, when, where, and can we tell why? This is not an easy question to answer as so little research published has included this important detail about the artifacts.

Several of the artifacts that initially appeared to be worked in the non-dominant direction have turned out to be more likely found with the technical back to the outside. For example the Egyptian sock now in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.2 This could be accomplished by working in the non-dominant direction, but is more likely simply a case of the creator or wearer deciding that they preferred the texture of the technical back to the outside. In the case of the sock in Edinburgh, it seems a common trait of socks made in that particular stitch. In the case of the pair of socks from Sudan,3 only one is “inside out.” This could be a case of the wearer not noticing, the person dressing the dead not noticing, or some cultural reason of which I am not aware.

In both cases, and in fact in all of the 115 or so known Egyptian socks, the socks are worked from the toe up to the ankle. The hats from the tip down. Up until very recently, all of the pre-17th century handcoverings I’ve examined have been worked from the tip of the fingers to the wrist. And yet, last year I had the opportunity to examine a beautiful glove from medieval Kalmar that surprised me in several ways. One was the particular stitch used as I had never seen its like before. And the other, was that it was clearly worked from the wrist towards the fingers. More research as to the direction of work of thumbs (and fingers on gloves), especially in relation to the associated handcovering, is desperately needed.

Wrist Bumps:

17th century mitten with a tar stain from Copenhagen . National Museum of Denmark
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker
Closeup of the wrist bump on the 17th century mitten from Copenhagen.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

I once had a idea that wrists that showed a prominent bump in the spiral might have been started at the wrist. Examinations of artifacts has consistently proven me wrong so far on that hypothesis. It was my modern esthetics that had given the the incorrect impression that the maker would always smooth out the final spiral.

Now, we do have examples where the final spiral ending is rather smooth. The Oslo mitten gives the appearance of a smooth ending. However, looking at the rows above it, one can see that it has been pulled and distorted such that the result is the edge currently looks like it was smoothly finished, but in fact it was a rather short transition that now significantly distorts the row to which it connects.

Oslo Mitten C28155 on display at the Historical Museum in Oslo
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker
Detail of the Oslo Mitten C28155 showing the short transition of the final row.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

Lace:

Another example. In 2004, I was approached by someone with a lace shawl they had that they wanted to know if it could be nalbound or not. The pictures they sent showed that an individual row had a structure we know can be produced by a particular nalbinding stitch, but the connections between rows were unclear, so we were missing important secondary construction details that can be vital to understand which particular technique produced the particular structure fabric.

I allowed as how it was possible that it might be nalbound, but that if it was that brought up many additional questions that would have to be answered. Such as, how would the connections be made in such an openwork structure without falling apart? In 2005, another was brought to my attention. My friend, Virginia Miller, became quite interested in the lace shawls and set about trying to find their source.

Around this time, many other examples of this particular type of shawl were apparently being examined at a variety of locations. Others were recognizing the structure of the chain as being a possible nalbound structure, but the specifics of the secondary constructions details that would reveal their true construction technique would not be recognized until the details of a related structural cross-over were discussed.4 These details show that there are a significant number of miss-identified examples in museums around the world.

Crocheted chain lace shawl from Turkey gifted to me by Virginia Miller in 2012.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker
Detail of the chain lace shawl from Turkey showing the crocheted connection.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

Virginia, having tracked down the origin of at least some of the shawls, kindly managed to procure one for me. Being able to examine one in detail up close has led to an understanding that allows me to understand details that while I had seen them before, had not revealed their relevance. Now, given sufficiently clear photos, it is easy to determine that these shawls are a form of crocheted chain lace. Rather similar in structure to the earliest forms of crochet that been identified.5

Another example of this structure’s construction technique being misidentified is a lovely pair of baby booties in the V&A Collection. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O136095/pair-of-bootees-unknown/ The Simple Looping in cream on the ball at the top of the tassel at the ankles is a form of nalbinding (and also a form of needlelace), but the green lace are these open worked crocheted chains. Once again, it’s the connections between the chains that reveal the technique used.

Hypotheses come and go, but that is in many ways the fun part of research. We are always learning new things. Theories become proven. Hypotheses are dashed and formed again. All of which leads to a better understanding of the entire corpus of both nalbound textiles and related looped textiles, their origins, transmission, development, traditional uses, and influences on the modern craft.

Speaking of exciting new opportunities and artifacts to examine, I have recently learned of new excavated socks to add to the corpus of nalbinding that have never been examined before.
Unfortunately, my travel budget to go see them is rather dry. If you’ve enjoyed my research and would like to be a part of my support team, I sincerely appreciate any assistance you are willing to send my way. You can use the one time donation link in the menu or become a monthly Patron.
Patrons on Patreon receive priority requests, early access previews, and occasional extra details.

  1. https://nalbound.com/2021/11/09/tracking-down-a-nalbound-sweater-spoiler-not-entirely/ and https://nalbound.com/2021/09/03/but-it-looks-like/ and https://nalbound.com/2021/02/21/coole_socke/ ā†©ļøŽ
  2. https://nalbound.com/2020/05/10/egyptian-sock-in-edinburgh/ ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://nalbound.com/2020/01/02/medieval-nubian-nalbinding-in-sudan/ ā†©ļøŽ
  4. Collaboration with Cary Karp to better understand the structure of the slip-stitch crochet artifacts from Egypt in Basel led to our article in ATR, https://nalbound.com/2023/01/31/newest-issue-of-atr-contains-our-article/, and influenced my presentation to NESAT: https://nalbound.com/2021/09/03/but-it-looks-like/ ā†©ļøŽ
  5. https://loopholes.blog/2019/12/diamond-mesh/ Accessed 30 March 2024 ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Skolt SƔmi hat 19278

I’ve been hoping to find SĆ”mi nalbinding as there is so much nalbinding in the region, but finding SĆ”mi specific nalbinding has been a bit of a challenge. Today’s Nalbound Object of the Week is a Skolt SĆ”mi hat collected in 1933 that was brought to my attention by Ingela Lindberg Anderson after her trip to the National Museum of Denmark. As she was trying to find more information about some of the objects she had seen on display, she ran across this hat in the online catalog.

Skolt SƔmi hat ObjectId 19278 Item number K.782
Photo credit: Mads Kildegaard Nielsen – Nationalmuseet, Danmark CC-BY-SA

Object: Skolt SƔmi hat

Description: A light brown, natural colored, nalbound hat. The National Museum of Denmark provides the following measurements: Largest measurement 22 cm, Diameter 18 cm, Height 18 cm.1

Dated to: collected in 1933

Find location: The museum lists the location as “Samer – SuonikylƤ. Petsamo
Lapps, Finland.”2 This reflects the terminology of 1933 when the hat was collected. This region of the larger SĆ”pmi is no longer within the borders of Finland as it was ceded to Russia in the Second World War.3

Material: wool4

Stitch(es) used: According to Margrethe Hald, the hat is worked in LƄngaryd stitch5, UOOOO/UUUUOO F1. However, the surface texture does not match that stitch determination. Further research should follow the Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving the SƔmi People in Finland.

Inventory number: ObjectId 19278 Item number K.782

Current location: Nationalmuseet, Danmark, Ethnographic Collection

Link to museum catalog or other data:

https://samlinger.natmus.dk/es/object/19278

Some sources in which more information can be found:

Hald, Margrethe. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs And Burials: A Comparative Study of Costume and Iron Age Textiles. Publications of The National Museum of Denmark; Archaeological Historical Series XXI. Translated by Jean Olsen. Copenhagen: Fyens Stiftsbogtrykkeri, Copenhagen, 1980. ISBN 87-480-0312-3. Pg. 298.

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://samlinger.natmus.dk/es/object/19278 Accessed 13 August 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  2. https://samlinger.natmus.dk/es/object/19278 Accessed 13 August 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. My thanks to Niina-Hannele Nuutinen for assistance with placing this location on a map and an introduction to the relocations that occurred in the region https://www.samimuseum.fi/saamjiellem/english/kolttaalue.html, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skolt_S%C3%A1mi and https://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suonikyl%C3%A4 Accessed 18 August 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. https://samlinger.natmus.dk/es/object/19278 Accessed 13 August 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  5. Hald, Margrethe. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs And Burials: A Comparative Study of Costume and Iron Age Textiles. Publications of The National Museum of Denmark; Archaeological Historical Series XXI. Translated by Jean Olsen. Copenhagen: Fyens Stiftsbogtrykkeri, Copenhagen, 1980. ISBN 87-480-0312-3. Pg. 298. ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Omani Sand Socks Ų²Ų±Ų§ŲØŁŠŁ„ TRC 2018.2807a-b

Peru and Egypt have both excellent preservation characteristics and extensive excavation histories, so I often return to these locations for nalbound artifacts. However, for this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week, I’d like to explore an item that reflects a different tradition. While we don’t know much about archeological examples, the Arabian Peninsula has evidence of a very strong traditional usage of nalbinding. Ų²Ų±Ų§ŲØŁŠŁ„ zarbool,1 or sand socks and camel muzzles2 seem to be the predominant items made with nalbinding there. This particular pair of Omani Sand Socks, I had the pleasure of seeing while they were on display in the Socks & Stockings exhibition at the Textile Research Centre in Leiden, Netherlands in 2019.

Omani Sand Socks as on display in the Socks & Stockings exhibition at the Textile Research Centre, Leiden in October 2019. Photo: Anne Marie Decker

Object: Sand socks Ų²Ų±Ų§ŲØŁŠŁ„

Description: The socks are worked from the toe up in alternating stripes of white and black. The stripes are two rows deep and the color is carried from one row up to the next color change. The heel is a wedge heel. There is a slit in the ankle with ties at the top to close it. The bottom showing in this image shows the pads that are worked onto the sock starting from the mid-foot and sewn down on three sides. The socks are 12.6 inches long by 5.5 inches wide (32 cm long by 14 cm wide3).

Dated to: late 20th century CE4

Find location: Oman5

Material: goat hair6

Stitch(es) used: Mammen, F2 UOO/UUOO (Stitch determination based on examination by Anne Marie Decker on 28 October 2019)

Gauge: 8-9 stitches to the inch and 2-2.5 rows to the inch. 4 stitches per cm and 0.75-1 row per cm.7

Inventory number: TRC 2018.2807a-b

Current location: Textile Research Centre, Leiden

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=&zoek=sock&cat=&subcat=&g=&s=24&f=0&id=32565

Some sources in which more information can be found:

If you scroll down, there is one of the few images of sand socks being worn at http://turathalarab.blogfa.com/post/405

Another image of sand socks being worn.

Photographs (if permissions allow):

Heel and toe pads sewn on TRC 2018.2807a-b
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker 2019
Close up of the slit reversals
TRC 2018.2807a-b
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker 2019
The black yarn being carried across the white rows to the next black row
TRC 2018.2807a-b
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker 2019
Gauge is 2 – 2.5 rows to the inch depending on where it was measured.
TRC 2018.2807a-b
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker 2019

Acknowledgements: My thanks to Diana Lankhof and Lies van de Wege for making it possible for me to visit the Socks & Stockings exhibition at TRC. My timing was soo very tight and they graciously arranged to open an hour early so that I could have time to examine the nalbound sand socks and see the displays.

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests

  1. Also transliterated Zarbul ā†©ļøŽ
  2. The Arabic term for camel muzzles or mouth coverings is possibly transliterated as lisama or lasama according to this video brought to my attention by Susan Elizabeth Aiken: https://youtu.be/YcKxQ0sGpr4?si=G5uO28Y9AR1lD9RY Accessed 7 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=&zoek=sock&cat=&subcat=&g=&s=24&f=0&id=32565 Accessed 9 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=&zoek=sock&cat=&subcat=&g=&s=24&f=0&id=32565 Accessed 9 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  5. https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=&zoek=sock&cat=&subcat=&g=&s=24&f=0&id=32565 Accessed 9 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  6. https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=&zoek=sock&cat=&subcat=&g=&s=24&f=0&id=32565 Accessed 9 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  7. Gauge determination based on examination by Anne Marie Decker on 28 October 2019 ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Helgeandsholmen stocking

For today’s Nalbound Object of the Week I must tell you of the surprise I got the day I was examining the medieval Nidaros Stocking. That same day, Niina-Hannele Nuutinen brought my attention to a mid-15th century knee-length stocking from Helgeandsholmen in Stockholm, Sweden. Excavated between 1978-1980, it was recently sent to Stockholm’s Archaeological Collection from the Statens Historiska Museet. While ankle length socks are well represented, knee-length nalbound stockings are rare in the archaeological record.

Mid-15th century CE nalbound knee-length stocking. UP0717-78 HELGEANDS 21539, 21542, & 22691 Stockholm stadsmuseet collection
Photo credit: Medeltidsmuseet – used with permission

Object: Helgeandsholmen stocking

Description: “The thickness suggests that it was used as a lining inside a boot. On closer inspection, it can be seen that the stocking consists of three parts and that it has been folded together several times before being pierced by something – hence the light spots and the many holes and depressions. The lower end of the sock also has tar on it, indicating that it has probably been reused as a tar swab.”1

Dated to: mid-15th century CE, “mitten av 1400-talet.”2

Find location: At the turn of 2024, Stockholm’s archaeological collections received textiles from the excavation on Helgeandsholmen (1978-1980) from the Statens Historiska Museet. This previously unknown nalbound sock was among the textiles.3

Material: likely wool

Stitch(es) used: unknown

Inventory number: UP0717-78 HELGEANDS 21539, 21542, & 22691

Current location: Stockholm Stadsmuseet collections shared with their sister museum Medeltidsmuseet, Stockholm

Link to museum catalog or other data: no specific entry in the online catalog yet https://digitalastadsmuseet.stockholm.se/fotoweb/

Some sources in which more information can be found:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ozfDLTBooGZrAwrv/?mibextid=oFDknk

Photographs:

Ingela Andersson Lindberg had the opportunity to examine the stocking on May 21st this year and has graciously coordinated with the museum to allow me to share these photos with you.

The other side of UP0717-78 HELGEANDS 21539, 21542, & 22691
Stockholm stadsmuseet collections
Photo credit: Ingela Andersson Lindberg – used with permission
A close-up of the foot of UP0717-78 HELGEANDS 21539, 21542, & 22691
Stockholm stadsmuseet collections
Photo credit: Ingela Andersson Lindberg – used with permission

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  1. Translated from https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ozfDLTBooGZrAwrv/?mibextid=oFDknk 6 May 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  2. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ozfDLTBooGZrAwrv/?mibextid=oFDknk Accessed 6 May 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ozfDLTBooGZrAwrv/?mibextid=oFDknk Accessed 6 May 2024. ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Pech Bag 26-42-20/C9921

For this Nalbound Object of the Week, we look to the Pech people of Northeastern Honduras. Now in the Ethnographic collections of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, we find this lovely open worked nalbound bag in alternating light and darker brown stripes.

Pech Bag. Object number: 26-42-20/C9921
Courtesy of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. https://peabody.harvard.edu/ Request reproduction rights from https://peabody.harvard.edu/rights-and-reproductions

Object: Pech Bag

Description: The bag starts at the base in the lighter brown and is worked for three rows with some increases visible. Followed by two rows of the darker brown and then three, three, three, and two alternating. The bag is recorded as being 19 5/16 inches high by 14 15/16 inches wide with a thickness of 1 5/16 inches (49 x 38 x 3.4cm). The opening shows no signs of decreasing the row height or otherwise finishing the mouth of the bag. The fabric builds in an clockwise S type spiral implying it was likely worked with the fabric suspended above while being worked.

Dated to: No date provided.1 The bag is part of the Ethnographic collections, so possibly collected sometime within the last one hundred and fifty years.

Culture: The Pech people, formerly known as Paya2

Find location (Continent, current country, original culture): Plaintain River, Honduras3

Material: The online catalog only describes the material as fiber.4 It may possibly Maguey (Agave sisalana f. armata) or Aechmea as both are noted as being used by the Pech to make bags.5

Stitch(es) used: B2 U/OU as read from the technical front of the work with crosses up. (Stitch determination by Anne Marie Decker based on .TIFF photograph provided by the museum for research purposes.) Given that the clockwise S type spiral direction of work reads right to left in that orientation combined with the B2 connection, this bag was likely worked with the fabric above the hands instead of suspended below. (If worked dependent (unlikely), then this would likely be indicative of being worked left-handed.) So in working, with the fabric suspended and growing down, the direction of work would read left to right, as is most frequent and the stitch would be worked as F2 O/UO crosses down.

Object number: 26-42-20/C9921

Current location: Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/172889

Some sources in which more information can be found:

Lentz, David. “Medicinal and other economic plants of the Paya of Honduras” in Economic Botany. 47. pgs. 358-370. DOI: 10.1007/BF02907349.

Federacion Tribus Pech de Honduras (FETRIPH)
Honduras. The Pech people. ā€œWe belong to the earth and to the earth we shall returnā€.

Minority Rights Group: Pech in Honduras

Photos of related items:

We can just see the same stitch used in this recent photo of “Assorted Pech crafts in Honduras” dated 27 August 2013. Photo credit: Leigh Thelmadatter (CC BY-SA 3.0)
And the same stitch used in this recent photo of “Pech woven carrying baskets” dated 27 August 2013. Photo credit: Leigh Thelmadatter (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/172889 Accessed 24 June 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  2. Paya https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/172889 Accessed 24 June 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/172889 Accessed 24 June 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  4. Online catalog is no more descriptive. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/172889 Accessed 24 June 2024. ā†©ļøŽ
  5. See Lentz, David. “Medicinal and other economic plants of the Paya of Honduras” in Economic Botany. 47. pg. 369. DOI: 10.1007/BF02907349. ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Estonian Fringed Mitten with Embroidery ERM 7952/ab

Today’s Nalbound Object of the Week is from the islands off Estonia. It’s a lovely white mitten with a large extended cuff decorated with both embroidery and fringe. It was collected in 1912, but was made in 1762 CE.

Photo Credit: kindad, nƵelkindad, ERM 7952/ab, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, http://www.muis.ee/en_GB/museaalview/556524 (CC0 1.0)

Object: Fringed Mitten with Embroidery

Description: A white wool mitten with a rounded oval tip that increases smoothly to an extended cuff. At the wrist there is red, blue, and yellow alternating fringe sewn into the underside of the mitten. There is also embroidery at the wrist consisting of a wavy blue line forming rough triangles between two lines of red running stitches with blue lacing around the red. According to the online catalog, the mitten is 36 cm long,1 which is just over 14 inches.

Dated to: 17622

Find location: The mitten was collected in the summer of 1912 by Richard Willems and Paul Ruus from Timofei TƤnav, called TƤhve, (1837-1914) at the Marti farm in the village of KĆ¼lasema in Muhu Parish, Estonia, but was noted as being manufactured at Jaagu farm in SƵrve parish on Saaremaa, Estonia.3

Material: 2 ply (Z-spun, S-plied) Wool4

Stitch(es) used: unspecified. I suspect Finnish 2+2 F2, UUOO/UUOOO F2, but would need to analyze more.

Inventory number: ERM 7952/ab

Current location: Eesti Rahva Muuseum

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://opendata.muis.ee/object/556524

Photographs: Larger versions of the photos are available from the museum’s online catalog.

Photo Credit: kindad, nƵelkindad, ERM 7952/ab, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, http://www.muis.ee/en_GB/museaalview/556524 (CC0 1.0)
Photo Credit: kindad, nƵelkindad, ERM 7952/ab, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, http://www.muis.ee/en_GB/museaalview/556524 (CC0 1.0)
Photo Credit: kindad, nƵelkindad, ERM 7952/ab, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, http://www.muis.ee/en_GB/museaalview/556524 (CC0 1.0)
Photo Credit: kindad, nƵelkindad, ERM 7952/ab, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, http://www.muis.ee/en_GB/museaalview/556524 (CC0 1.0)

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://opendata.muis.ee/object/556524 Accessed 16 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  2. https://opendata.muis.ee/object/556524 Accessed 16 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://opendata.muis.ee/object/556524 Accessed 16 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. The museum catalog simply notes Wool https://opendata.muis.ee/object/556524 Accessed 16 June 2024. Analysis of the photographs by this author shows that it is 2 Z-spun yarns plied S. ā†©ļøŽ

NOW: Morakarlen’s Brown Exhibition Mittens

In the 1750’s, Erik SƤterbeck crafted a beautiful pair of long mittens for the Vasa museum at OrnƤsstugan, commissioned by Jacob Brandberg. Made of brown and white wool, with intricate red embroidery, these mittens were displayed for 200 years before going to the Livrustkammaren’s conservation studio in the 1950s. They are now in Stockholm’s Livrustkammern.

It’s not often that we know the name of the person that nalbound a particular artifact. Especially not for an artifact made in the 18th century. However, this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week is a beautiful pair of long mittens made in the 1750’s by Erik SƤterbeck. The mittens were commissioned by Jacob Brandberg to accompany the Morakarlen’s robes made for the Vasa museum he established in the OrnƤsstugan where Gustav Vasa ostensibly spent the night during his time in Dalarna in the early 1520’s.1 The mittens were on display for around 200 years before they were sent to the Livrustkammaren’s conservation studio in the 1950’s.

Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC0)

Object: Brown and white, embroidered mittens for the Morakarl exhibition.

Description: Long, brown wool mittens, with a wider white cuff embroidered with red thread in a wide band. The mittens are just under 26 inches long, 660 mm, and just under 9 1/2 wide, 240 mm.2

Dated to: 1750’s CE3

Find location: OrnƤsstugan,4 Sweden

Material: brown and white wool5

Stitch(es) used: Misidentified as knitted6 in the museum catalog, this pair appears to be made using the Dalby stitch, F1 UOU/OUOO, based on the images.7 (Stitch identification by Anne Marie Decker based on photographs)

Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC0)
Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC0)
A close-up of the red embroidery on the cuff.
Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC0)

Additional photos of the embroidery are on SHM’s site here and here.

Inventory number: 19207_LRK and 19208_LRK

Current location: Livrustkammern, Stockholm, Sweden

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA

See also https://samlingar.shm.se/media/71766506-FB55-48D9-8F38-49FCFC684BCF

Some sources in which more information can be found: There is a literature reference in the online catalog and additional literature references as well as additional photos are included in:

De mƤrkliga allmogedrƤkterna i OrnƤsstugan.

Photographs:

Morakarlen’s garments, including two pairs of nalbound mittens in the upper left. You can clearly see that the embroidery on the white cuff of the brown mittens is red. Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: Livrustkammaren, Livrustkammaren/SHM (CC0)

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA and https://kuragehistoria.com/2019/03/14/de-markliga-allmogedrakterna-i-ornasstugan/ both Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  2. https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  3. https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  4. https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  5. https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  6. “Stickad” https://samlingar.shm.se/object/AFAE0473-2929-411A-A72F-7EE307B6A2AA Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ
  7. https://samlingar.shm.se/media/3A307160-92C5-424B-BE42-2F23080D153D and https://samlingar.shm.se/media/11D6D624-8F96-48AB-BBBB-6A4559126F32 Accessed 3 June 2024 ā†©ļøŽ