By Alexandra Makin. I’m a textile archaeologist specialising in early medieval embroidery but I’m also a professional embroiderer, having trained on the Royal School of Needlework’s three-year apprenticeship. I’m particularly interested in early medieval embroidery because it offers so many opportunities to explore not only the technical attributes of fibres and stitching, or designs and…
Tag: featured
Studio H Canada International Art Residency – Call to Artists
We are pleased to announce that the Studio H Canada International Artist Residency is now accepting applications. This unique residency is custom-designed to meet your individual needs and goals in a safe and supportive environment. Artists are invited to apply now for art residencies of any duration in this idyllic setting on Vancouver Island in…
Book Launch! The Valkyries’ Loom, by Michèle Hayeur Smith.
By Michèle Hayeur Smith
Women Do Archaeology: Women, cloth, looms, and power in the Viking and Medieval North Atlantic
Dr. Michèle Hayeur Smith When cloth became the basic unit of currency in the medieval Icelandic economy, women–the sole weavers in Norse society–found themselves literally weaving money on their warp-weighted looms. These textiles are an abundant, rich, and diverse archaeological source for learning about women in the past. In this talk, Michele Hayeur Smith will…
The Indigo Iona Saga and the Settlement of Iceland
Today’s featured post is by G. Scott MacLeod, who has successfully embodied the mission of the Northern Women Arts Collaborative by combining both scientific research and art. Based on an exhibit and research project carried out at the National Museum of Iceland, Scott has created a film and graphic novel about the life of a…
THE VALKYRIES LOOM: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF CLOTH PRODUCTION AND FEMALE POWER IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC. By Michèle Hayeur Smith.
Introducing a new book by one of NWAC founding members on the textile traditions of the North Atlantic, from the Viking Age to the Early Modern Period. To be published on November 3rd, 2020 with University Press Florida. “An impressive presentation of Viking Age and medieval textile production in the North Atlantic, especially in Iceland…