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:

The November 2024 TRC Newsletter can be downloaded here. This issue contains information about upcoming events and workshops, a list of TRC blogs published since January this year, and much more interesting information, of course with plenty of illustrations of (recently acquired) textiles and garments.

Portrait of Prof. Lammert Leertouwer, Professor of Theology, Rector Magnificus from 1991-1997, Leiden University. Painting by Marike Bok (1979).We are very sad to inform you that Prof. Lammert Leertouwer (1932-2024) died on Monday, 21st October 2024. Lammert was a member of the TRC Board for many years and was Chair of the Board until his retirement in 2017, but he continued as an ordinary member.

I first met Lammert at the Volkenkunde Museum, Leiden, where he was a special advisor to the museum. He had just retired as Rector Magnificus of Leiden University, and the museum had quickly employed him to help them promoting research at different levels.

We met in the queue of the Museum’s café and discussed life, the universe, textiles, etc. He totally understood what we were doing and why. When his time at the museum came to an end, he very kindly agreed to continue helping the TRC, because he was intrigued by us, and what we wanted to do. I had various talks with Lammert in his study at home discussing problems, people and the future of the TRC. His many anecdotes were proverbial. I shall miss Lammert.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director, 23 October 2024

In May 2018, the TRC welcomed Dr. Magdalena Wozniak, a Marie Curie Fellow from the Polish Academy of Sciences. She is an archaeologist working on the textiles found at (Christian) Nubian sites in the north of Sudan. She had attended the TRC five-day Intensive Textile Course in 2015, and it was wonderful to see her again.

But her visit had a special purpose: she wanted to study the Sudanese textiles, and the raw fibres and spinning weaving equipment, all of them collected by the grande dame of British archaeology, Grace Crowfoot (1879-1957) and now housed at the TRC. For a blog about Magdalena’s visit in May 2018, click here.

She again came to the TRC in April of this year, together with a group of colleagues, and accompanied by Dr. Karel Innemée, formerly working at Leiden University and now employed as assistant professor by the University of Warsaw. He is also a board member of the TRC. They are all working on the project: ‘Costumes of Authority: Images of Royalty and Clergy in Christian Nubia.’ A detailed report of their visit and the project they are working on can be downloaded here.

Fresco with the reconstructed clothing. Research project, University of Warsaw: ‘Costumes of Authority: Images of Royalty and Clergy in Christian Nubia.’

The British magazine Jewellery History Today (autumn 2024) has just published an article by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood and Emilie Lambert about a collection of Afghan jewellery donated to the TRC by May and Rolando Schinasi from Nice, France.

Teke Turkmen headpiece for a woman, early 20th century (TRC 2024.0321). Donated by May and Rolando Schinasi.

Both have a fascinating history. Rolando, an Italian born in Egypt before the Second World War, initially went to Afghanistan in 1957 as an importer and exporter. May, French by birth, studied Persian and its Afghan dialect (Dari) while living with her uncle, Daniel Schlumberger, director of DAFA (Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan). The couple met in Kabul in 1964, married in France in 1965, and lived in Afghanistan until 1977.

The full article, in PDF-format, can be downloaded here.

Example of Russian tape laceRussian tape lace is mainly known from the Vologda region, some 450 km north of Moscow. It is the most famous lace centre in Russia. The decorative aspect of Vologda lace is made from tape, made in cloth stitch with a gimp in it, and fillings in and around the taped motif. The fillings are made with only two pairs of bobbins. This asks for a great understanding of how the fillings are made. 

The instructor is Gon Homburg. She learned to make lace from her mother and from 1983 she has been officially registered as a bobbin lace teacher. She teaches enthusiasts and gives workshops to various artisan schools, including the TRC.

The course is given on three Wednesdays, on 2, 16 and 30 October 2024, from 10.00-13.00. The course of three workshops will be followed by another series of three workshops in which some simple Christmas lace decoration will be made in various techniques, including Russian tape lace.

Venue: TRC Leiden, Hogewoerd 164, 2351 HW Leiden. Teacher: Gon Homburg. Language: Dutch/English. Costs: 40 euros per Wednesday (to be paid per individual workshop on the day itself). Material/coffee/tea are provided. Max. number of participants: 8. Minimum: 5. Please register well in advance: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Detail of TRC 2024.2190.(5 August 2024) Among the textiles recently given to the TRC by Hélène van Spaendonck, Belgium, there is a large patchwork cloth (TRC 2024.2190) from India that is made up of numerous pieces of Banjara embroidery.

This type of Indian patchwork is often dyed by dealers, and others, in a dull brown, dark grey, black or a red colour, which makes it virtually impossible to see the original colours or patterns. Fortunately this cloth has not been subjected to this undignified treatment.

Patchwork of various squares and rectangles of (mainly) Banjara embroidery with a wide variety of repeating, geometric patterns in various colours. India, 20th century (TRC 2024.2190).

Moroccan kaftan made from a Japanese obi (sash), 1950s (TRC 2001.0074).Gillian Vogelsang, Director TRC, 13 July 2025.

The TRC collection of textiles, clothing and accessories from around the world was started in 1997 with 43 pieces from Afghanistan, Egypt and Syria. Since then it has grown to nearly 51,909 items (16 September 2025), most of which are online (click here for the online catalogue).

The items come from very diverse backgrounds with respect to time and place. Some of the items in the collection have been purchased, but the vast majority has been collected during fieldwork or very kindly donated by various institutions and private donors. The TRC  is a good example of Citizen Culture and Heritage at work!

The collection has no boundaries with respect to geography or time. It ranges from Afghan embroidery, German Lederhosen, Indonesian batiks, historical textiles from Leiden, to delicate silks from Renaissance Italy and spinning and weaving equipment from the Andes.