Interesting day
2008-02-29 11:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liadethorneggeToday started off with a leisurely breakfast, then a hop and a skip into town to meet Her Excellency Helwig at Museum Gustavianum, where the new "interpretation" of viking women's garb (sic) is to be found exhibited.
I think everyone has said all one can say about that outfit already. Ouch, and *wince* are probably the nicest. From images I had thought the applied trim were tablet woven brochaded bits, and as such at least nice. They weren't. From images I thought the bit sticking out underneath the white linen dress sleeves was another layer. It wasn't. It was a loose cuff, made from a lovely silk, pinned to the inside of the chemise sleeve. There were never any good photos of the back of the train online, but seeing it up close and personal the only association I could make was "oh, look a saque-back gown". And the method of gathering the neckline... let me tell you, a half inch deep channel with 3/8 inch wide linen strip is not my idea of either well-made or period.
More amusing was the fact that the museum shop/book shop belonging to the museum (which is in fact the Uppsala University Museum, galled Gustavianum) did not stock the dissertation that is the basis for this fantastical recreation of a viking woman's garb. The woman behind the counter didn't even know it had been published yet. Her co-worker in the back did recognize the value of having a stock of the dissertation when they've got an exhibition of her research materials and findings on. I mean, the woman defended her thesis and got a doctorate right here at Uppsala University. The book was published "in house". And yet, none to be found for sale on the shelves. Maybe that is something to be thankful for, I don't know.
Less amusing, but much more enjoyable was the rest of the day spent working on my green Florentine gown at Helwig's place. I stitched down the lining inside the bodice and started on the eyelets. Seven on each edge, and there are four edges. I got one of those done today. Tomorrow we resume sewing, since we can't be at the Winter Games event, and we will drink tea, watch more ofDavid Boreanaz Seeley Booth Bones and work away on projects. Much fun!
I think everyone has said all one can say about that outfit already. Ouch, and *wince* are probably the nicest. From images I had thought the applied trim were tablet woven brochaded bits, and as such at least nice. They weren't. From images I thought the bit sticking out underneath the white linen dress sleeves was another layer. It wasn't. It was a loose cuff, made from a lovely silk, pinned to the inside of the chemise sleeve. There were never any good photos of the back of the train online, but seeing it up close and personal the only association I could make was "oh, look a saque-back gown". And the method of gathering the neckline... let me tell you, a half inch deep channel with 3/8 inch wide linen strip is not my idea of either well-made or period.
More amusing was the fact that the museum shop/book shop belonging to the museum (which is in fact the Uppsala University Museum, galled Gustavianum) did not stock the dissertation that is the basis for this fantastical recreation of a viking woman's garb. The woman behind the counter didn't even know it had been published yet. Her co-worker in the back did recognize the value of having a stock of the dissertation when they've got an exhibition of her research materials and findings on. I mean, the woman defended her thesis and got a doctorate right here at Uppsala University. The book was published "in house". And yet, none to be found for sale on the shelves. Maybe that is something to be thankful for, I don't know.
Less amusing, but much more enjoyable was the rest of the day spent working on my green Florentine gown at Helwig's place. I stitched down the lining inside the bodice and started on the eyelets. Seven on each edge, and there are four edges. I got one of those done today. Tomorrow we resume sewing, since we can't be at the Winter Games event, and we will drink tea, watch more of
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Date: 2008-02-29 10:37 pm (UTC)/Eva
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Date: 2008-02-29 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 12:08 pm (UTC)I was very interested in the announcement that someone had a new interpretation of viking womens clothing, and was hoping someone local would go see it - there's no pics online that I can find (possibly they're there but in the SE part of the site which is awkward to navigate).
Has somone else discussed it at length somewhere (possibly in English)?
Are you saying that the interpretation is strange? or is it plausible, and we will have to change our approach to SCA viking clothing?
or were you thinking it was just ugly? :-)
It *is* silly not to stock the relevant text, when you're running a (new) exhibit!
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Date: 2008-03-03 05:09 pm (UTC)http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=597&a=741029
More searching turned up this announcement from the University (in English with links to images of the garb):
http://www.newsdesk.se/pressroom/uu/pressrelease/view/vikings-did-not-dress-the-way-we-thought-197993
I found the latter link by reading the following thread on LJ which discusses the findings and links to the one grave finding she is basing her female outfit on:
http://jillwheezul.livejournal.com/84964.html
The same links have occured in many places online where you are likely to be discussing Viking women's garb. Atlantia A&S email list for example, Armor Archive, (Swedish) National Museum of Antiquities local fora and Nordmark Community forum for example. The only thing positive I've heard about the women's garb is that is is very fanciful and imaginative (from someone who values those two above much else).
In short: impractical even if for ceremonial use, uncomfortable, unlikely, mostly un-founded, wildly speculative and an attemt to tear down the "invading christians" at the time of the transition.
I would have taken pictures at the exhibit, but it's not allowed.