1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: I'm Holly Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. We're talking 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 2: about something I have wanted to talk about for a 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 2: long literal years. 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is tricky to pinpoint the origin of embroidered 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: embellishment for obvious reasons. Most textiles that were around before 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: recorded history don't exist anymore. They have not survived the 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: ravage of time, and as a consequence, depending on what 10 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: source you look at, you'll actually see different timelines for 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: the origin of needlework used to decorate fabric. And then, 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: to add to that, this is of course a global art. 13 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: Different cultures have employed embroidered embellishments for a long time. 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: It seems to spontaneously arise kind of in every culture 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: in some way, which I think is cool. But each 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: of those cultures had their own timelines regarding when embroidery 17 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: was adopted into their handiwork. But as I just mentioned, 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: I've been wanting to talk about embroidery in its history 19 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: for a long time. When I tell you literal years, 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: not kidding, And I have loved it for a lot 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: of years, and I have started and not completed this 22 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: episode a minimum of five times. Yeah, where I'm like, 23 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: I don't I can't wrap my head around how to 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: manage all of this. I don't know that I did 25 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: manage all of this, But it's because it's overwhelming. There's 26 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: a lot. 27 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: You can't be comprehensive at all, right, and you have 28 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: to accept that and try to pick pieces that you 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 2: think will give people a decent set of informational facts 30 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: and contexts without being able to fully flesh out every concept. 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: But then over the holidays, when I was working but 32 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: things were a little bit slower, I had some time 33 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: to dig out the books that I have been amassing 34 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 2: on the subject, and I tried to figure out a 35 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: way to talk about it. So the way it's usually 36 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 2: talked about when you read histories is usually through like 37 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: a bifurcated narrative. The reason for that is that we 38 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: know some things about ancient embroidery around the world, but 39 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: then the subject largely splits in two directions, Western and 40 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 2: specifically English embroidery traditions and Asian specifically Chinese embroidery traditions. 41 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 2: To the point that you will have books that say 42 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: a comprehensive history of embroidery, and they're only about one or. 43 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: The other, which makes it very tricky. But the silk Road, 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: of course, is a bridge between them. And there are 45 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: instances where some developments were happening in one culture's needle 46 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: work traditions that would impact others later on. So it's 47 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: very hard to keep everything linear. Thus here's your warning. 48 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: We're going to jump around a little bit. But also, 49 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 1: as I said, embroidery has a massive history. It could 50 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: be a podcast in its own right, although that would 51 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: be for a rather niche audience. The embroidery which I 52 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: would listen to. Yeah, you know, this is a more 53 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: general history show, so to try to make it all 54 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: work sort of, this is in the embroidery tradition, more 55 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: of a sampler of information. We're going to talk about 56 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: embroidery samplers in a bit. And when I say in 57 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: a bit, I mean next episode, because this is a 58 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: two part two and even so I just want a 59 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: caveat this means we are leaving so much out even 60 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: with a two parter. So for a show like ours, 61 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: which is not an all embroidery podcast, my goal is 62 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: to showcase how important embellishment of fabric has been throughout 63 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: all of human history as a means of expression and artistry, 64 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: and a way to share information. 65 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: You may think you do not have much of a 66 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: connection to embroidery, but I promise you embroidered pieces have 67 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 2: been part of almost every story throughout human history, thus 68 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: probably yours, whether you knew it or not. So embroidery 69 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: is at its most basic definition, the embellishment of a 70 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: fabric using a needle and thread to create some kind 71 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: of decoration. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first 72 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: known use of the word embroidery in English print appeared 73 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: in the writings of fourteenth century writer John Gower, who 74 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 2: mentioned it in his work Confessio Amantis. This is part 75 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: of the Confessions of the character Amans, who notes his 76 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 2: lady embroidering. The word is borrowed from the French ambrode, 77 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 2: which is a verb, and the word broidery, which is 78 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: a noun. But humans were engaging in embroidery so long 79 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: before it had that name. Ancient needles made from animal bone, 80 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: complete with eyes to pass thread through, have been found 81 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: in Europe and Asia and have been dated back as 82 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 2: far as thirty eight thousand BCE. North American finds of 83 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 2: similar objects are estimated to be between twelve thousand and 84 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 2: thirteen thousand, five hundred years old, so all over the 85 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: world four thousands of years this has been something that's 86 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 2: come up. Examples of actual embroidery have been noted in 87 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 2: fossils dating back to thirty thousand BCE during the Paleolithic era, 88 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: but we don't know a whole lot about those early efforts. 89 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 2: There is evidence of embroidery and beads being used in 90 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: that embroidery, and even in one case a stitch that 91 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: finished the edges of a garment like a buttonhole stitch, 92 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: but what has been seen is largely just fragments and 93 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: kind of like hints at what we think it is. 94 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: What we actually do know conclusively actually jumps us forward 95 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: in time quite a bit to ancient Egypt in the 96 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,799 Speaker 2: eleventh century BCE, and we know that the ancient Egyptians 97 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: used embroidery thanks to their burial rituals. There are a 98 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 2: number of fairly well preserved examples of embellished textiles from tombs. 99 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 2: One example is made up of two pieces of fabric 100 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 2: from the funeral tent of Queen Istamkeeb. This fabric is 101 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: actually animal hide, and it's specifically gazelle, and it has 102 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 2: a pink leather corting stitch to it with pink thread 103 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 2: to form a decorative binding along the edge. So not 104 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: exactly embroidery as we would think of it, but certainly 105 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 2: an embellishment with a fabric and an elin thread. Also 106 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: in Egypt, but several hundred years later, there's another example 107 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 2: that we don't have in hand, but we have a 108 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 2: description of it, which was written by Herodotus. He writes 109 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: of an Egyptian corslate, which in this instance means a 110 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 2: piece of decorative armor. Quote. It was made of linen, 111 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 2: ornamented with numerous figures and animals, worked in gold and cotton. 112 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 2: Each thread of the corslt was worthy of admiration. According 113 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 2: to the additional description provided by Herodotus, each individual thread 114 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 2: was made up of three hundred and sixty other threads. 115 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: All these threads, according to the writing, were very clearly visible. 116 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 2: The stitchers in the audience are probably trying to envision 117 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 2: what that would look like, and honestly, so are we. 118 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 2: Three hundred and sixty threads, even if they are very 119 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 2: very fine, would make us significantly sized cord if they 120 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 2: were all twisted together. So maybe this was stitched down 121 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: in a way that spiraled and showcased all of these threads. 122 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: Or maybe Herodotus was like a little confused about how 123 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: embroidery works. Maybe it is a translation issue. Who can say. 124 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: In any case, he mentions in the histories that this 125 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 2: was a gift from the pharaoh Amasus to the Simians, 126 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 2: and then another similar Corsul it was given to the 127 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: temple of Minerva and Lindus. The earliest surviving piece of 128 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 2: embroidery is a piece that was taken from the tomb 129 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: of in Common, dating back to about the thirteen twenties BCE, 130 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 2: and by that point needles made from metal were already 131 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: in use. 132 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, So just in case you're like, wait, you said 133 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: there's evidence of older than that, this is the first 134 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: actual surviving piece of embroidery. And we're going to talk 135 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: about some early evidence of embellishment stitching in China after 136 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: we first paused for a sponsor break. All right, we're about. 137 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 2: To talk about some Chinese things. And let me just 138 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 2: tell you, I know my pronunciation is not good, so 139 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: we're doing our best. Blessings upon you for your patients. 140 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 2: At an archaeological site outside of Beijing known as Zukudian 141 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 2: and dated to sixteen thousand BCE, researchers have uncovered a 142 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: wide range of bone needles. Similarly, beads made from shell, 143 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 2: bone and stone have been found throughout China and other 144 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 2: Asian countries, indicating that in addition to possibly trading some 145 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 2: of these items, people were using them to embellish clothing. 146 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: Renowned embroiderer and historian Yung Yong Chung described the use 147 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 2: of what she called proto embroidery in her books Silken Threads, 148 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 2: A History of Embroidery in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam 149 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: as a way to track migration and cultural. 150 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: Development in Asia. She notes that proto embroidery really shows 151 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: up in the northern areas of Asia first, and also 152 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: that the earliest evidence of a spindle whirl, which is 153 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: a weighted object that was used on a spindle to 154 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: maintain a consistent speed for creating yarns, shows up in 155 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: the Late Neolithic period, so that means after seven thousand BCE, 156 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: an especially important development in embroidery history and in textiles 157 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: in general, happened when people in China developed the ability 158 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: to cultivate silkworms themselves, rather than just gathering silk pods. 159 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: Silk pods from wild silkworms would have only provided short 160 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: filaments that had to be very carefully wound together to 161 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: form longer fibers. And that's because as a silkworm emerges 162 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: from the cocoon, it produces a secretion that breaks the 163 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: cocoon down so it can emerge. But once silkworms were. 164 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 2: Domesticated, these pods could be harvested before the chrysalis inside matured, 165 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 2: so the silk from the pod could be unwound and 166 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: one long, continuous piece. That made it possible to create 167 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 2: much finer silk textiles. And this is a technique that 168 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: enabled China to be the sole producer of silk for 169 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 2: a long time. Yeah, their whole technique of weaving was 170 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 2: like a secret for many many years. Well before the 171 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,439 Speaker 2: silk Road was officially established in the second century BCE, 172 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 2: silk was in production and embroidery on it was part 173 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 2: of Chinese culture. For example, the chain stitch was in 174 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 2: use as early as the fifth century bce in China, 175 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 2: and also what we call the Silk Road was really 176 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: a collection of smaller trade routes that had been in 177 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: use that started to coalesce as trade increased. Even in 178 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 2: that coalesce state, there were actually many routes, not just one. 179 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 2: UNESCO actually uses the plural term silk roads when talking 180 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: about this trade network. But the most important thing, at 181 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 2: least as it relates to what we're talking about today, 182 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 2: is that ideas were being exchanged along these routes as 183 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 2: well as goods, and as more people saw Chinese embroidery, 184 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 2: the designs and techniques were borrowed and copied and incorporated 185 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: into the stitching of other cultures. So as we talk 186 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 2: about the embroidery traditions of various places around the globe, 187 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 2: we have to keep in mind that there is a 188 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 2: degree to which they are all linked developmentally thanks to 189 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 2: this trade of ideas and designs. In the years that 190 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 2: the Silk Roads were developing and flourishing, so were the 191 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 2: embroidery styles of China, and what emerged were four primary 192 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 2: schools of embroidery. Each one was associated with a different 193 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 2: region of the country. Shoe embroidery is associated with the 194 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 2: Sichuan province, and its style is incredibly intricate, to the 195 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: point of looking in some cases almost like photographs created 196 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 2: from threads. The stitching is very tight, so with colors 197 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 2: that blends together rather than showing any sharp lines of 198 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 2: color blocking nature imagery is very posh and pandas, which 199 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 2: are associated with the city of Chengdu. They're commonly seen 200 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 2: in this style of embroidery. Xang embroidery is associated with 201 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 2: Hunan Province and it tends to be very bold in 202 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 2: its designs. The intricacy of this style is evidenced in 203 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 2: the fact that the backside of the embroidery is not 204 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: just beautiful, but it is also usually a different image. 205 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 2: So the embroiderer is creating two pieces of art at once. 206 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 2: So if you look at a piece say oh my gosh, 207 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 2: this is beautiful and flip it over, you're going to 208 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 2: see a different image that is also beautiful. These designs 209 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 2: often use animals with high contrast between colors. Su embroidery, 210 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 2: which is named for the city of su Chau and 211 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 2: the Jangsu province, remains the most popular of the Chinese 212 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: embroidery schools today. It is characterized by very fine needlework 213 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 2: with very narrow needles and thin threads to create this 214 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 2: incredibly rich detailed imagery. There are often many many colors 215 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 2: at play in any given design, and some feature mirrored 216 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 2: designs on the back of the work. The last of 217 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 2: the four schools is yue embroidery, which is also called 218 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 2: Cantonese embroidery. This is a very old style. This embroidery 219 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 2: is often very colorful, but it doesn't have the photographic 220 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 2: quality of some of the other styles, and it's also 221 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: usually worked in cotton thread rather than silk. But all 222 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 2: four of these styles are officially recognized as part of 223 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:29,959 Speaker 2: China's Intangible Cultural heritage. Other early surviving examples of embroidery 224 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: come from the Scythian Empire. The Scythian culture dates back 225 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 2: to the span of time from nine hundred to two 226 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 2: hundred BCE. This was a nomadic warrior culture there primarily 227 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: associated with southern Siberia and modern day Ukraine, had a 228 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 2: reputation for being fearsome. According to the writings of Herodotus quote, 229 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 2: none who attacks them can escape, and none can catch 230 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 2: them if they desire not to be found but in 231 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 2: addition to that interesting part of their legacy, the Scythians 232 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 2: also valued art and personal adornment. 233 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: They cast metal jewelry, and they had tattoos, and they 234 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: also embroidered. Felt pieces, possibly part of burial lacuterment, have 235 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: been found with shapes embroidered on them, but those old 236 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: ones are far more basic than the more recent discoveries. 237 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: One of the interesting aspects of some of those more 238 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: recent discoveries of Scythian embroidery shows the way that their 239 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: nomadic lifestyle offered them the opportunity to borrow motifs from 240 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: other cultures over the centuries, and once again this goes 241 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: back to how deeply connected all humans are. Motifs like 242 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: lotus flowers have been tracked by researchers as they appeared 243 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: on textiles embroidered in China and then seem to have 244 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: slowly been adopted by other cultures who came in contact 245 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: with China and then made their way to Inner Asian cultures. 246 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 2: Including the Scythians. Similarly, Greek and Persian designs also appear 247 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 2: on Sythian embroidered textiles, so over time the Scythians were 248 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 2: really incorporating designs into their embroidery that they borrowed from 249 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 2: seeing them in a lot of places elsewhere. The use 250 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 2: of embroidery on Scythian clothing is also unique as a 251 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: stylistic element in terms of placement. Archaeologist Margherita Gliba mentioned 252 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 2: in the book Dressing the Past in two thousand and 253 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 2: eight that quote, the decorative elements on garments have been 254 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 2: placed in such a manner as to highlight the edges 255 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 2: and the seams. Seams especially were emphasized with embroidery. Gliba 256 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 2: notes that there are some historians that have stated that 257 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 2: using decorations at garment edges like neck and sleeve openings, 258 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 2: was part of a way to keep evil spirits from 259 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 2: entering the clothing. I think Holly wants to embroider all 260 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 2: the hems and seams and edges that way, every keep 261 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 2: evil spirits. Yeah, tell everybody, that's the reason. Scythian embroidery 262 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: is also known to have been a way that the 263 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: embroiderers tried to imbue their garments with luck. The idea 264 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 2: of amulet embroidery, which often appears on things like loose 265 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 2: fitting tunic style shirts, has continued into the present day. 266 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 2: One aspect of Sythian embroidery that also applies to a 267 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 2: lot of other cultures is that the work is attributed 268 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,359 Speaker 2: almost exclusively to women and girls, and that's not entirely surprising. 269 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 2: Swing of any kind has been considered women's work in 270 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: a lot of cultures, not universally, but a lot. Some 271 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 2: of the writing about this work on Cythian garments, specifically 272 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 2: as it relates to luck, suggests that there was a 273 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 2: certain power in the act of creation for the women 274 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: who may have sung or repeated specific phrases while working 275 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 2: to manifest that luck in the stitches. There are also 276 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: mentions if these lucky or protective garments being worn by 277 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 2: men under their armor when they went into battle, as 278 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 2: they believed in the power of the embroidered amulets. 279 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: One particularly striking example of Scythian embroidery made the Rounds 280 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: online in the early twenty twenties, although it had been 281 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: discovered decades before that. It's a leather boot that has 282 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: been embellished with thread and beadwork, even on the soul. 283 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: This example, which is estimated to be around twenty three 284 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: hundred years old, was found in a burial ground in 285 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: Siberia's Altaime Mountains in the mid twentieth century, so it 286 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: likely wasn't intended for real world use if it was 287 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: a burial garment, which is why it is more intact 288 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: than footwear that would have been part of someone's everyday wardrobe, 289 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,160 Speaker 1: and the embellishment on it is ornate. Along the uppers 290 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: of the boot is a beautiful scrollwork that incorporates beads 291 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: into the silk stitches. The carefully pleated toe is joined 292 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: to the soul in a way that looks exactly like 293 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: modern ballet slippers, and the soul itself has three diamond 294 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: shapes of different sizes outlined would bead it embroidery, and 295 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,399 Speaker 1: then filled in with additional embroidery and beadwork. It's an 296 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: incredibly beautiful piece and it's part of the collection of 297 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. 298 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 2: Modern day Ukraine honors the embroidery tradition of the Scythians. 299 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 2: In two thousand and six, a student led initiative started 300 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: with the intent to make May sixteenth Embroidery Day that 301 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 2: slowly spread and gained traction until it got government support. 302 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 2: In twenty fifteen. This is not the only Embroidery Day 303 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 2: that there is in the world. Sweden is credited with 304 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 2: creating World Embroidery Day in twenty eleven, for example, and 305 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 2: that falls on July thirtieth. 306 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: We're going to take a break to hear from the 307 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: sponsors that keep the show going, and when we're back, 308 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: we are going to talk about prehistoric embroidery in Peru. 309 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: Peru has a. 310 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 2: Rich prehistoric embroidery story as well, and as is the 311 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 2: case with ancient Egypt, we have examples due to their 312 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 2: rituals of mummifying the dead and including lots of handworked 313 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,640 Speaker 2: articles with them in burial. Centuries before the Incan Empire 314 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 2: was present in the area, indigenous Peruvian peoples were creating 315 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 2: incredibly intricate textile art. The archaeological site known as Pachika Mauk, 316 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 2: which sits southeast of Lima, has a cemetery which has 317 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 2: been the source of a lot of embroidery finds. The 318 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 2: Peruvian examples show multiple kinds of embellishment being combined, so 319 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 2: for example, sometimes designs woven into a fabric on a 320 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 2: loom would then be embellished with embroidery. The motifs of 321 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 2: these examples are graphic representations of things from the natural world, 322 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 2: mostly things like octopus, fish, and wild cats. While some 323 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 2: look like blocky, stylized animals that are pretty easy to recognize, 324 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 2: others are more abstract and their forms have been altered 325 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 2: to fit a space or a design. A lot of 326 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 2: early Peruvian embroidery samples feature imagery that's heavily filled in 327 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 2: creating full detailed pictures rather than being an assembly of 328 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 2: different design motifs. There are also a lot of historical 329 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 2: instances of embroidery being used as a way to create 330 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 2: substitutions for other textiles that were otherwise unattainable. So as 331 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 2: fabrics with interwoven designs started to be made in places 332 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 2: like Greece and Egypt after the invention of the warp 333 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 2: weighted loom in the fifteenth century BCE, those textiles would 334 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:27,160 Speaker 2: have been extremely costly and available only to the extremely wealthy, 335 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 2: so people who wanted a similar look but couldn't afford 336 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 2: those woven in designs turned to embroidery embellishments. Later examples 337 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 2: of this come from the Cops, the indigenous Christian Ethno 338 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 2: religious community of Egypt. Starting from the first century CE. 339 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: One Coptic embroidery technique involved weaving the embellishment thread into 340 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 2: the base fabric in a way that created motifs that 341 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 2: would often outlive the original fabric itself, and so when 342 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 2: those garments wore out or broke down that embroidery piece, 343 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 2: those would often be used as an applicate, almost like 344 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 2: a patch that would be stitched onto a new garment. 345 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 2: The Byzantine empires love of embroidery is well known, in 346 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,239 Speaker 2: part because that empire lasted long enough that we have 347 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 2: some good examples of it today. Because the Byzantine Empire 348 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 2: had very specific rules about what people could wear based 349 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: on their place in society, we have a clear picture 350 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 2: of who wore what types of embroidery. A linen and 351 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 2: wool military tunic dated to sometime in the fourth or 352 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 2: fifth century, for example, has repeating isolated motifs embroidered on 353 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 2: it in purple. High ranking military officials had entire panels 354 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 2: of their cloaks covered in embroidery, suggesting that the value 355 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 2: of the handiwork was recognized, and the higher you were 356 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 2: in rank, the more embellishment you could have. In the 357 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 2: seventh and eighth centuries, heads of state wore large draped 358 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: cloths around their torso called loros, and those are covered 359 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 2: an embroidery that also incorporated gemstones. By the fifth century, 360 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 2: Japan had picked up the embroidery tradition that began in 361 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: China and started to develop their own unique styles. In Japan, 362 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 2: early embroidery was almost all religious in nature, and embellished 363 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 2: fabrics were usually pictures of Buddha. Those fabrics are known 364 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 2: as shibutsu. These began as adornment for temples, and then 365 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 2: over time they were adopted as decor for private homes. 366 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 2: In the eighth century, when Kyoto became the country's capital, 367 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 2: embroidery experienced this huge surge in popularity as it started 368 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 2: to be used as decoration for clothing, although at that 369 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 2: point only theatrical costumes and the clothing of the aristocracy 370 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: included it. It expanded into use in religious garments in 371 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: the fourteenth century, and then onto samurai uniforms in the 372 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 2: seventeenth century. In the Edo period, embroidery became incredibly opulent 373 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 2: and very detailed. Embroidery in Korea developed and estimated two 374 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 2: thousand years ago. One story is linked to the Scilla 375 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 2: Kingdom of the first century and Queen Jinduk, who had 376 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 2: a special embroidery made featuring one hundred Chinese characters with 377 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 2: decoration to give to China's Tang dynasty. Embroidery really started 378 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 2: to flourish in Korea starting in the fourteenth century during 379 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 2: the Josun dynasty, and like China, four different styles of 380 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:32,959 Speaker 2: embroidery called chasu developed. There was Pokeshik chasu for clothing, 381 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 2: kyung chashu for items used in the royal palace, Kamsang 382 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: chasu for styles of artistic work, and Buddhist chasu for 383 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 2: temple decor. Within these styles, there are of course different 384 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 2: stitching techniques to create the various designs and artwork created 385 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 2: by the stitcher. During the Lao dynasty in China, which 386 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,640 Speaker 2: lasted from nine oh seven to eleven twenty five, an 387 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 2: important heavily garment originated which would become, in fact so 388 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 2: important in its role in court culture that it was 389 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 2: eventually tightly regulated. 390 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: And that is the dragon robe. The dragon robe, which 391 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: is as the name suggests, a garment with multiple dragons 392 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: embroidered on it as well as other motifs, is a 393 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: long garment with an asymmetrical neckline closure. These robes have 394 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: an incredibly rich history. People have written books on just them, 395 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: but the design of them is what we're focusing on today. 396 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: In seventeen fifty nine, a document titled the Regulations for 397 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: the Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty was completed after 398 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: a decade of work, and that decade had been spent 399 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: reviewing the styles of clothing worn at court, and specifically 400 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: the dragon robes, and it came up with a very 401 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: strict code of regulations as to how those garments could 402 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: be worn and who could wear them going forward. And 403 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: so for this reason you will often see the origin 404 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 1: of the dragon robe linked to the year seventeen fifty nine, 405 00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: because that is when the robes as we know them 406 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: to were codified. 407 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 2: Those eighteenth century regulations included things like the rule that 408 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 2: only the Emperor, the Empress, Dowager the Empress, and first 409 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 2: rank consorts could wear bright yellow. This had been a 410 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 2: standard practice in previous dynasties, but it became a lot 411 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 2: more rigid from this point on. Other colors were also 412 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 2: regulated to various levels of status, within the royal court, 413 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 2: although people were not restricted to only those colors. 414 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: The Emperor did not only wear yellow, for example. 415 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 2: Additionally, the embroidery designs on the robes were governed by rules. 416 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 2: Five clawed dragons were only for men in the immediate 417 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 2: royal family. Grandsons of the Emperor, for example, were not 418 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 2: considered immediate and they could only wear dragons with four claws. 419 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 2: Other symbols were also designated for different ranks. All of 420 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: this regulation over the embroidery of court dress might seem fussy, 421 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 2: but it served as a communication tool. A visiting dignitary 422 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 2: would immediately know if he was speaking with one of 423 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: the emperor's sons. 424 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 1: For example. In the seventh and eighth centuries, embroidery in 425 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: the British Isles really starts to be trackable, as religious 426 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: orders started to employ it for garments. This needlework was 427 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: typically performed by nuns and monks, and this was the 428 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 1: beginning of a stitching tradition in England that would become 429 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: a legacy tied closely to religion and royalty, and known 430 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: for a high degree of proficiency and artistry. But the 431 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: next piece that we're going to talk about has had 432 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: some debate over the years regarding whether it was even 433 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: made in England or not. That is a frequent subject 434 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 1: on the show, which is that in ten seventy seven 435 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: one of the most famous pieces of embroidery in history 436 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: was created, and that was the Bitte Tapestry. This famous 437 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: work of propaganda art depicts the period of time leading 438 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: up to and including the Battle of Hastings from ten 439 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,959 Speaker 1: sixty four to ten sixty six and the conquest of 440 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: England by William, Duke of Normandy in ten sixty six. 441 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: The tapestry, which is actually a massive embroidery piece, was 442 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: the subject of a twenty eleven episode from prior hosts 443 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: Sarah and Doblina. I think they also did an update 444 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: on it. It's come up but a bunch of times 445 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: on an Earthed, including recently, so we will not rehash 446 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: all of that stuff from that earlier episode from Sarah 447 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: and Doblina that mostly talks about the events leading up 448 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 1: to the creation of this embroidery that are depicted in 449 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: the stitches. So this piece of art combines the narrative 450 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: account with allegorical imagery related to honor and loyalty. Those 451 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: allegorical parts of it are along the border, and it 452 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: is huge. It's seventy meters long, it's a little less 453 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 1: than two hundred and thirty feet. It's made up of 454 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: nine panels of linen which are stitched together into one. 455 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: And this piece has had restoration work performed over the years, 456 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,120 Speaker 1: and it is not all great. One of the problems 457 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: that has arisen with restoration were performed in the nineteenth 458 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,479 Speaker 1: century is that the newer woolf fibers have not proven 459 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: as color fast as the originals, which were dyed with 460 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:12,199 Speaker 1: Dyer's woad matter and Dyer's rocket. While some of the 461 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:16,680 Speaker 1: original blue tones which were created with woad have faded, overall, 462 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: the original ten colors are in pretty good shape. 463 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 2: From a slightly more technical standpoint, there's an interesting type 464 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:27,479 Speaker 2: of stitch on the Bayou Tapestry that's been called at 465 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 2: various times biyou stitching. In addition to stem stitching, chain stitching, 466 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 2: and split stitching, there is couching. Couching is a technique 467 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 2: in which a cord or yarn doesn't pass through the 468 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 2: backing fabric itself. It's stitched down with another piece of 469 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 2: yarn or floss that does pass through the backing fabric. 470 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 2: This can be used for a variety of design purposes, 471 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 2: but in the case of the Bayou Tapestry, it is 472 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 2: the reason that the motifs and the characters and the 473 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 2: bigger Desase nine have completely filled in sections like the 474 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 2: clothes on the characters. In those cases, there are rows 475 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 2: and rows of couched yarns sit closely together to form 476 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 2: a solid block of color. Feel it closely at photos 477 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 2: of the tapestry you can clearly see this. And the kicker, 478 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 2: of course about this piece is that we don't know 479 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: who embroidered it. It had to have been a team 480 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 2: of people. And there's an often repeated but completely unsubstantiated 481 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 2: version that William the Conqueror's wife, Queen Matilda, worked on 482 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 2: it along with her ladies in waiting to commemorate and 483 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 2: honor William's achievement. Most historians write that off as pure romanticism. 484 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 2: The first known mention of the tapestry in writing appeared 485 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 2: four hundred years after its creation, in an inventory note 486 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 2: of the Bayoux Cathedral, describing it as quote a very 487 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 2: long and narrow hanging on which are embroidered figures and 488 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 2: inscriptions comprising a representation of the conquest of England and 489 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 2: mentioning that this was used as a special occasion decoration. 490 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 2: But it's a description of the piece. It doesn't say 491 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 2: anything about its provenance, nothing of its history other than 492 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: we own this. Uh. 493 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,239 Speaker 1: The more popular belief on its origin is that it 494 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: was commissioned by William's half brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, 495 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: although that still leaves its crafts people without any kind 496 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 1: of credit, and there is debate about whether it was 497 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: crafted in France or in England, with some scholars believing 498 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: it was designed by monks at Saint Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. 499 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: In a bit of good fortune, an interesting paper about 500 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: the Bayou Tapestry came out just as Holly was starting 501 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: research on this episode. It's one that we mentioned briefly 502 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: in our recent Unearthed. In this paper, titled Chewing over 503 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: the Norman Conquest, the Bayou Tapestry is monastic meal time 504 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: Reading was written by Benjamin Paul and published in the 505 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: periodical Historical Research. The writing starts from the idea that 506 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: the tapestry was created in England and hung for a 507 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: time in Saint Augustine's Abbey. Paul's case is that the 508 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: Bayu Tapestry was always intended to be displayed in the 509 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: Abbey of Saint Augustine, and specifically that it was intended 510 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: for the monastery dining hall. His argument is that it 511 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: was to be displayed there as a piece of art 512 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 1: for the monks to meditate on and perhaps be entertained 513 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: by while they ate. He invokes the tapestry size and 514 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: compares it to a measure of a long blank space 515 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: in the abbey, and notes that these measurements more or 516 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: less match up, suggesting that the uniquely long embroidery was 517 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: made precisely to fit that space. He also notes that 518 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,719 Speaker 1: the position of the tapestry, if hung as he describes, 519 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: makes sense of the scale and the imagery in lettering quote. 520 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: Hung roughly at head height or slightly higher, the Baye 521 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: Tapestry's details would have been perfectly discernible from the seated 522 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: position assumed by the monks and their guests during meal 523 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: times in the refectory. This is true not only of 524 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: the artifact's intricate iconography, but also and especially of its 525 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: textual inscriptions. The argument continues that this would have been 526 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 1: a place of silence, with the exception of a reader 527 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: something visual to focus on would have made sense, so 528 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: kind of like an eleventh century monk TV. There's a 529 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: lot more in depth discussion in the paper. That paper 530 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: we'll be linked in the show notes. And as we 531 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: mentioned on that recent installment of Unearthed, this is very 532 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: speculative and it came out of a class assignment that 533 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: was designed to come up with possible scenarios to explain 534 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: the providence of this famous work. Incidentally, and we mentioned 535 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,959 Speaker 1: this briefly on On Earth as well as we record 536 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: this in early twenty twenty six, the Bayou Tapestry is 537 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: not on display at the Bayou Museum or anywhere right 538 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 1: this moment. The museum is undergoing a multi year renovation 539 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: and it is expected to reopen in mid to late 540 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: twenty two seven, but from September twenty twenty six until 541 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: July twenty twenty seven it is going to be on 542 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: loan to the British Museum. The Bayou Tapestry is a 543 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,959 Speaker 1: UNESCO registered Memory of the World and it is priceless, 544 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: so this loan is a huge deal. I think we 545 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: also mentioned that the British Museum had to ensure it 546 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: for eight hundred million pounds, which is like a billion dollars. 547 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna weep you over embroidery. 548 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 2: The cool thing is if you can't make it too 549 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 2: London to see it or byo, you can check out 550 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 2: the entire thing online. It's a scrollable digital file at 551 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 2: the Bayou Museum's website. You can look for couching. It's 552 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 2: very obvious. This is where we're going to end part 553 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 2: one of this episode. When we start part two, we 554 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 2: will pick up right where we left off and talk 555 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 2: about embroidery in the writing of Chaucer, and we'll finally 556 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 2: get to the discussion of Samplers. 557 00:33:55,560 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: I have listener mail and it's embroidery related. Hooray, hooray, 558 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: I'm on target. This is from our listener Katie, who writes, Hi, 559 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy, we just heard the episode about Cranberry's 560 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: and of course enjoyed it. Did you ever hear of 561 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: the books set in the fictional town of Cranberry Port. 562 00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: They're among the favorites of my family's holiday collections, Yes, 563 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: even with teens. Cranberry Thanksgiving, Cranberry Christmas, etc. By Wendy 564 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: and Harry Devlin feature Maggie her grandmother, their care free 565 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 1: neighbor mister Whiskers, and the town grouch mister Grape, along 566 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 1: with others. The stories are very sweet. All the books 567 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: include a recipe for a cranberry treat. I did not 568 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: know about these books, but that sounds adorable. No pets, 569 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 1: But here's a work in progress sewing picture of a 570 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: big crosstitch piece based as you can see on motifs 571 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: from the Haunted Mansion, one of my favorites, and I 572 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: think it's Holly's too. Best wishes Katie. It is, and 573 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: this is very cool. She is working this really beautiful 574 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: piece that is going to be when it's completed, a 575 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: design that includes the stretching room portraits but laid out 576 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 1: in a circular fashion around almost like a big clockface. 577 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,400 Speaker 1: The clock, the famous clock you know, if you know, 578 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: is featured on it. And I can already see the 579 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: grave digger and his dog, which is the most upsetting 580 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: piece of that attraction for me and the opera singers, 581 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: and I bet it's going to be spectacular. So Katie, 582 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:18,399 Speaker 1: I hope you send me a picture when it's all done, 583 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,280 Speaker 1: because we love some Hanam mansion here in my house. 584 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: That's for sure. If you would like to send us 585 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 1: pictures of your embroidery or really anything else, you can 586 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: do that at History podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. And 587 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: if you haven't. 588 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,879 Speaker 2: Subscribed to the show and you want to make sure 589 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 2: you get part two, you could do that on the 590 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your favorite shows. 591 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 2: Stuff you missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 592 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 593 00:35:54,160 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.