Blog

A recent controversy shows once again the deep link between dress and identity. Some weeks ago the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, paid a state visit to Zambia (Fig. 1). He was warmly greeted at the airport by Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, who was wearing a Western business suit.

President Mahama was wearing a traditional Ghanaian tunic called a fugu. According to a BBC report, some Zambians began mocking the garment on social media, calling it a “blouse”, and wondering why a head of state would wear such a garment on a formal occasion.

Fig. 1. President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, wearing a fugu when arriving in Zambia for a state visit, photographed together with his wife. Courtesy The Office of the Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Fig. 1. Boerhaavelaan 6, Leiden, the new home of the TRC.A feature of the TRC’s new home at the Boerhaavelaan 6 (Fig. 1) is a form of batten work (called betengeling in Dutch), namely the use of a wooden framework that is covered with tensioned cloth and paper. These cloth-covered interior walls in B6 date to about 1909 when the house was built.

This technique has been used for hundreds of years to cover both timber and brick-built, internal walls and to protect expensive wall paper or other materials. This technique is also known in other parts of Europe and indeed the world.

Basically it consists of a frame of wooden slats or battens (de tengels in Dutch) which is fastened against the bare wall, which is then covered with linen or jute (the betengeling in Dutch). On top of this there comes a layer of wet paper, which when dried tensions the layer of luxurious wallpaper or cloth placed on top.

I have been thinking a lot lately about political textiles. It’s a broad term that encompasses many different things.

Fig. 1. Crazy quilt made from a variety of materials, as well as embroidered panels, painted panels and ribbons from various Republican political rallies. USA, 1890s (TRC 2019.2925).

Big changes are hard. Whether it is moving to a new building or about thirty years of revolution and regime changes, change requires flexibility. One object from our collection knows all about change, the Leiden journeyman hat (Fig. 1; TRC 2010.0056a).

Fig. 1. Miniature bicorn hat in beaver (?) fur with a silk band, made for a journeyman's examination. Leiden, The Netherlands, 1796 (TRC 2010.0056).

This little hat, 30 cm in length, was made for the examination of apprentice hatmaker Hendrik Visser, member of the Leiden hatmaker’s guild. It is made of fur, probably beaver, with a silk band on one side. The small size of the hat proved that Hendrik Visser was a capable hatmaker and was therefore awarded the title of journeyman hatmaker. In 2010, the hat was professionally conserved after a public appeal to raise the required funds.

The TRC is officially shut until the beginning of March because of its move to new premises. But this does not mean that TRC activities have stopped. We are all carrying on from home and meeting in Leiden several times a week to discuss the current situation, work and projects.

Fig. 1. Long, dark red cloth, decoratively woven with narrow mid-red stripes at regular intervals. Across the middle of the cloth there is a broad band of silver thread embroidery with stripes of repeating, geometric motifs. Tunisia, first half 20th century (TRC 2026.0187).

by Emilie Lambert, TRC collection manager, 23 January 2026

Fig. 1. Egyptian woven fragment from the 1st millennium AD, with stylised figures and waves, all in dark purple on an unbleached linen ground (TRC 2023.0073).One of the most common phrases heard at the TRC is that the collection holds textile items from prehistory to today. To visitors, this point emphasises our understanding of the value of historical textiles as well as the cultural relevance of a modern fast-fashion collection.

Due to preservation and availability, most of the TRC collection postdates the 17th century. There is, however, a considerable medieval collection and a significant collection of Coptic textile fragments from the first millennium AD (Fig. 1). But there are textiles even older than that! The oldest textile at the TRC, and indeed one of the oldest preserved textiles in the world comes from Çatalhöyük (Fig. 2).

The site can be found under many spellings, Catal Hoyuk, Catalhoyuk, and more recently Çatalhöyük. As an archaeology student it was impossible not to hear about this site regularly.

The proud author with her first copy of The Atlas of World EmbroideryA very proud author, Friday 16th January 2026.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, director TRC, today received her author's copies of The Atlas of World Embroidery: A Global Exploration of Heritage and Styles (Princeton University Press).

"A visually captivating, deeply informative overview. . . . An exquisite, fascinating volume."—Kirkus, starred review

"Emphasizing the spectacular visual diversity of the art form, Vogelsang-Eastwood illuminates embroidery’s global history."—Kate Mothes, Colossal

The book will officially come out on 17 February. Copies can be ordered here. For Amazon.nl, click here.

A Dutch version of the same book, published by WBooks, has the title: Atlas van de borduurkunst: Een wereldreis langs erfgoed en stijlen. It comes out on 19 February. For Amazon.nl and the Dutch version of the book, click here.

Quite a day: The book arrived on the same day that Gillian closed the doors of the 'old' TRC building along the Hogewoerd in Leiden, where the TRC has worked since September 2009. The TRC will soon, in early March, move to a beautiful urban villa just behind the Leiden railway station, along the Boerhaavelaan. A new future for the TRC, and more publications, more workshops and courses, and all sorts of textile events.

Fig. 1. Padded container for a glass kohl bottle. Palestine, early/mid 20th century (TRC 2005.0086).The announcement in December 2025 that kohl is now included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity sent me immediately to the TRC’s on-line catalogue in order to learn more. What exactly is kohl and what role does it play in dress and identity?

The UNESCO description states that “Arabic Kohl is both a craft and a social practice that is integral to the lifestyle of Bedouin and nomadic tribes, as well as rural, marshland, and fishing communities in the Arab region.... In addition to being a symbol of community identity and a key part of daily beauty routines, kohl is used as a physical and spiritual healing remedy."

The UNESCO text continues: "[Kohl] promotes dialogue and fosters meaningful exchanges between nations and communities of women. Kohl-rimmed eyes also serve as a strong form of female expression, particularly in societies where only eyes are visible due to face coverings."