Silk Road Conjectures
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Schedule
  • 1582 Surname
  • Historical reproduction clothing
  • Silk Road Conjectures Blog
  • Travel blog: Istanbul 2012
  • References
    • Textile Technology
  • Links
  • Articles
    • Central Asian Caftans
  • Persian taj diadems: Historical reproductions
  • How to wear Persian stuff on your head

Sleekstones and Rainbow Sherbet

3/19/2016

4 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
I'm not really surprised anymore when the thousand year old way of doing something turns out to be way better than the modern 'conveniences'.

My friend Alison gave me a sleekstone for my birthday.  Isn't it pretty?

What is a sleekstone?  I didn't know either until Alison showed me her research on the 16th C. Italian sewing basket she's been working on. A sleekstone is basically an iron, for pressing seams.

When she showed me pictures of the extant ones, they immediately made me think of the tools I saw in Istanbul that were used for polishing paper.  I really love the wear mark on the upper cowrie shell.  You can see just how it fit into the artisan's hand.

Picture
Tools for polishing paper. Ottoman Turkish, 18th-19th century. Museum of Turkish and Islamic History, Istanbul.
The one she gave me is hand-blown glass, though they had other kinds.

I've been working on making hats for my vending booth, I've got a bunch of shows coming up.  These particular caps are a very basic pillbox shape.  We have extant ones from all over the Middle East and Central Asia for over a thousand years.  Lots of our extant ones came from Egypt, because of the dry climate.
Picture
This one is 19th c Ottoman Turkish, in the private collection of a friend. But they go back to at least the 8th c.
They are easy to make but ironing the seams is a pain.  I used to use a regular iron and and ironing ham.  Then I got a mini-iron and that was better, but still awkward.

So when I made this last batch, I tried using the sleekstone and lookie here!  How pretty is that?

Picture
In addition to giving a better result and taking about a quarter of the time, the process is actually pleasant.  I was able to get a steady rhythm going and there was a lovely flow to it.  And I don't have to worry about burning myself or the hat.  The sleekstone fits my palm really well and I really enjoyed using it.
Picture
Picture
4 Comments

Persian Zodiac

12/27/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
detail of musician from 16th c. Persian painting.
This awesome little guy with the crazy hat is from a series of 16th c. Persian paintings.  A friend on Facebook sent me a link.  I haven't explored this site yet, but it looks like a delightful rabbit-hole.  I have seen some images from this series redrawn in some of the Dover books, but this is the first time I've seen the whole series.  You always have to be careful using allegorical scenes as costume documentation, but I really love this hat.  I have seen portraits with this sort of hat without the angled top and I have seen the occasional use of diagonal stripes on shalwar cuffs and a couple of caftans. 

0 Comments

    Archives

    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015
    January 2013
    December 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Being Wrong
    Central Asia
    Cloud Collars
    Conservation Issues
    Embroidery
    Extant Garment
    Headwear
    Mongol
    Music
    Musician
    Period Techniques
    Phoenix
    Poetry
    Research Methods
    The Cloud Collar Project
    Turku

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.