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Fig. 1. Cotton woman's plastron, hand woven and hand embroidered. Vergina, Greece, 20th century (TRC 2025.0221).Fig. 1. Cotton woman's plastron, hand woven and hand embroidered. Vergina, Greece, 20th century (TRC 2025.0221).I am happy to share my first post for the TRC. My name is Paul Cochet, and I am a Master's student in Design Cultures at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Since early February, I have been an intern at the TRC.

Shortly after my arrival, I learned that the TRC had recently received a collection of garments and textiles from the former Yugoslavia. This immediately piqued my interest, as my grandmother was Slovenian.

However, I found the term 'former Yugoslavia' somewhat unsatisfactory—while the region shares many cultural similarities, national and regional identities remain strong. On Gillian Vogelsang's suggestion, I set out to identify the precise origins of each piece, secretly hoping to find some Slovenian artifacts among them.

This collection of 58 items, which included complete garments, but also embroidered panels meant to be added to such garments, as well as cords used to fasten them, was generously donated by Annelies van Eijk-Kuiper.

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Over the last few months we have been looking at presenting more information about specific textiles or groups of objects to the public. In this context, we have been talking with various groups about a range of scientific analysis techniques that can be carried out at the TRC or elsewhere.

A slightly domed metal button with an alpha-type shank, with flowers within flowers inside a dotted border on the front. The Netherlands, 15th-16th century (TRC 2024.2582).A slightly domed metal button with an alpha-type shank, with flowers within flowers inside a dotted border on the front. The Netherlands, 15th-16th century (TRC 2024.2582).We are already working with various techniques. Emilie Lambert, a TRC volunteer and archaeology student (Leiden University), for example, is examining a group of 15th to 19th century metal buttons that were found in the Netherlands. She wrote a separate blog on the subject, published on 16th October 2024.

Emilie is studying the buttons with XRF (X-ray Fluorescence). This non-destructive technique sends radioactive signals through an object, and quickly provides precise ratios of its elemental components.

The knowledge gained is often used for provenancing. With respect to the TRC buttons, this work is being carried out in order to identify what exactly they are made from and perhaps determine their provenance, but also to see if there are similarities that might indicate  if any have the same profile, suggesting they might even have been made in the same workshop. The aim is to have some of the metal analysis results appearing in the TRC Database from May onwards.

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My name is Mayte Van den Broeck, an MA student of Heritage and Memory at the University of Amsterdam, who started an internship at the TRC in early February. As my first month as an intern at the TRC has flown by, I wanted to reflect on the experiences I have had so far by describing what a day at the TRC can look like as an intern.

Fig. 1. An impression of the depot with the TRC collection.Fig. 1. An impression of the depot with the TRC collection.A typical day starts at 9am with a cup of tea, as I organise what I plan to do that day. One of my main tasks as an intern is to go through the Chinese collection in the depot (Fig. 1), box by box, to make sure that each textile piece is in order. This means checking each piece for issues such as mold or damage, as well as making sure all the information on each piece is present and correct in the database.

When I started with this particular work, the very first box I chose from the Chinese collection, picked at random, was full of shoes, particularly lotus shoes (see the TRC online exhibition on the subject). The practice of foot binding started over a thousand years ago in the Early Song Dynasty (960-1279) and lasted until the early 20th century.

The girls and women whose feet were bound, in accordance to this widespread practice, would wear these finely decorated lotus shoes. The colours and decorations would depend on the wearer’s social status and the symbolism that they wished to emulate through the decorative designs on the shoes.

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As part of the TRC’s work on the history, techniques, designs and uses of textiles, we are working quietly and steadily on making the TRC and Leiden an international centre for the study and teaching of embroidery in all its multiple forms. We currently have nearly 5,000 examples of embroidery from all over the world. 

Fig.1. Fragment of linen with an embroidered design worked in wool, probably from a child's tunic Egypt, 5th-6th century AD (TRC 2000.0014).Fig.1. Fragment of linen with an embroidered design worked in wool, probably from a child's tunic Egypt, 5th-6th century AD (TRC 2000.0014).

Fig. 2. Fragment of linen with an embroidered design worked in purple, orange and blue wool, probably from a child's tunic. Egypt, 5th-6th century AD (TRC 2000.0015).Fig. 2. Fragment of linen with an embroidered design worked in purple, orange and blue wool, probably from a child's tunic. Egypt, 5th-6th century AD (TRC 2000.0015).

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The TRC is an independent foundation (Stichting) that is exclusively run by volunteers. Please support us by transferring your donation to: (IBAN) NL39 INGB 0002 9823 59, in the name of: Stichting Textile Research Centre. BIC code is: INGBNL2A. Since the TRC is a recognised ANBI (Cultural Institution), your donation, if you pay taxes in the Netherlands, is tax deductible for up to 125%.

You can also, if you have the iDEAL app on your computer/IPhone, use the iDEAL button below and fill in the amount of support you want to donate:

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Johanna Elizabeth van NieropJohanna Elizabeth van NieropIn early November 2022 the TRC was approached by Henk van Nierop about a small group of lace samples (TRC 2022.3134 – TRC 2022.3155) and a lace notebook (TRC 2022.3156) that had been collected by his aunt, Johanna van Nierop.

It turns out his aunt’s lace story was much more complicated and interesting than we initially thought. The following blog is by Henk van Nierop.

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Johanna Elisabeth van Nierop (nicknamed 'Zus' in the family) was born in Amsterdam on November 16, 1882, the youngest of six children. Her father, Frederik Salomon van Nierop, was a wealthy lawyer and banker ¬– he was the founder (in 1871) and director of the Amsterdamsche Bank – as well as a liberal member of the Amsterdam municipal council, the Provincial States of Noord-Holland, and the Upper House (Eerste Kamer) of the Netherlands' Parliament.

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Boerhaavelaan 6
2334 EN Leiden.
Tel. +31 (0)6 28830428  
office@trcleiden.org 

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NL39 INGB 0002 9823 59, in the name of the Stichting Textile Research Centre.

TRC closed until 4 May 2026

The TRC is closed to the public until Monday, 4 May 2026, due to our move to the Boerhaavelaan. The TRC remains in contact via the web, telephone and email. For direct contact and personal visits, please contact the TRC at office@trcleiden.org, or by mobile, 06-28830428.

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Donations

The TRC is dependent on project support and individual donations. All of our work is being carried out by volunteers. To support the TRC activities, we therefore welcome your financial assistance: donations can be transferred to bank account number (IBAN) NL39 INGB 000 298 2359, in the name of the Stichting Textile Research Centre. BIC code is: INGBNL2A.

 You can also, very simply, if you have an iDEAL app, use the iDEAL button and fill in the amount of support you want to donate: 
 

 

 

Since the TRC is officially recognised as a non-profit making cultural institution (ANBI), donations are tax deductible for 125% for individuals, and 150% for commercial companies. For more information, click here