Objektnummer
60/779
Ophav
Beskrivelse
This is a length of hand-woven Shetland tweed with a herringbone pattern in light greyish-green with yellow and brown stripes. It was woven by Thomas Adie & Son of Voe, Shetland, circa 1945–6, and is part of large collection of traditional craft products acquired from the British Council in 1960.
Fysisk beskrivelse
1 length of tweed: fibre
Arkivhistorik
MERL miscellaneous note, B. L. 22 March 1961 – ‘The British Council collection. // This collection of material which is covered by the accession numbers 60/430 to 60/791 contains examples of craft products made in the British Isles. The major part of the collection was prepared immediately after the Second World War for a travelling exhibition which was sent to Australia and New Zealand. // The collection was purchased for a nominal sum by the Museum in two portions, the one in the summer of 1960 and the other in February 1961. // For further details see the individual catalogue cards and the catalogue prepared for the temporary exhibition of the collection.’, MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘A handwoven Shetland tweed, 4 yards 8 inches long and 30 inches wide. // The pattern is of the Herringbone type using a light grey/green colour with yellow and brown stripes. // Supplied by Thomas Adie & Son, Voe, Shetland.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, ‘Introductory Note’ by Andrew Jewell – ‘The objects shown in this Exhibition of Country Craftsmanship were originally purchased by the British Council in 1946. They were selected for exhibition in Australia and New Zealand as samples of traditional handcrafts which were then being practised in the British countryside. The Museum of English Rural Life was fortunate to acquire this valuable collection from the Council and to have the opportunity of displaying such a wide variety of skills. // Almost all the crafts shown are still to be found in this country although, in the intervening fifteen years, many of the small firms and individual craftsmen whose products are represented in the Exhibition, have given up working. The number who now remain to carry on these particular traditional crafts continues to decline with the growth of mechanization, the obsolescence of their products and the difficult of finding apprentices to follow them. // All the objects on display have one characteristic in common – they were made to be used. Any aesthetic qualities which the craftsman achieved grew without self-consciousness. Over long years of apprenticeship the craftsman developed an intimate knowledge of the raw material at his disposal and its peculiarities. He acquired by inheritance the methods of his craft which may have had a continuous tradition over centuries of time. And he was quite familiar with the way in which his product was to be used. // We can derive pleasure simply by looking at the shapes and decorations. Both, however, are inseparable from function and environment, and the objects can only be most fully appreciated by an understanding of the purpose for which each was intended. // This, then, is an exhibition of everyday things, made by men and women who might not think of themselves as artists, but whose work, nevertheless, has enriched the daily life of those who live with their products.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, ‘Scottish Tartans and Tweeds’, p.18 – ‘The tweeds shown in the exhibition are a representative selection from different parts of Scotland. Different breeds and local traditions of spinning and weaving have produced a diversity of types. Shetland wool provides maximum warmth and minimum weight: Harris tweed made from the wool of the Scottish Blackface gives a harder cloth. Few genuine hand loom weavers survive and many of the products are based on central factories which send out ready warped tweed and bobbins to the crofter weavers who use treadle operated factory type looms.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, p.18 – '204. Handwoven Shetland Tweed // (Items 202 and 205 supplied by Messrs Scott Adie, London, W.1; items 203, 205–6 supplied by Thomas Adie & Son, Voe, Shetland.)', British Council ‘Exhibition of Rural Handicrafts from Great Britain’ Exhibition Catalogue, 1946, ‘Introductory Note’ – ‘This exhibition contains only examples of handicrafts that are still being practised in the British Countryside. It is confined to the work of our traditional craftsmen and women who, with very few exceptions, would not think of themselves as artists or designers but whose work, nevertheless, so greatly enriches the daily life of those who live with and use their products. The work of these craftsmen, too, provides the basis from which many artist-craftsmen gain technical knowledge and inspiration. // Included with these rural crafts are eight screens showing handicraft processes which can be undertaken by schools or adults who wish to practise a craft at home. In this way we hope these examples of Britain’s country crafts may be related to a practical aspect of present day life in the Dominions and meet the increasing need to find satisfying ways of using the leisure which machinery now makes available to us. // Along with her traditional rural crafts Great Britain seeks to employ all the resources of modern agricultural science and engineering. We have therefore included with this exhibition some photographs showing examples of recent developments in agricultural machinery.’, British Council ‘Exhibition of Rural Handicrafts from Great Britain’ Exhibition Catalogue, 1946, Textiles, p.23 – 'Different breeds of sheep and local traditions of spinning and weaving have produced a diversity of tweed, e.g. Shetland wool provides maximum warmth and minimum weight; Harris tweed made from the Scottish blackface sheep gives harder cloth. Tweeds made in Wales have deeloped in comparatively recent years out of the Welsh flannel industry. As a result, they are usually lighter and finer in weave than those from Scotland.', British Council Ref. No. NZ ?.
Produktionssted
Voe
Produktionsdato
1945 - 1946
Objektnavn
Materiale
Teknik