Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1964, Page 84

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
SUMMARY
This article deals with a rare type of Icelandic needlework, skinnsaumur (skin
sewing, literally translated). During the 18th century and the early 19th century
the long black riding coat, the hempa, worn by Icelandic women was decorated
with wide bands down centre front on either side of the front opening. In the
National Museum of Iceland there are three such bands, two of which are a
matched pair, and part of a fourth all worked in skinnsaumur (Nos. 554 a,b, 1005
and 4211). These are the only known Icelandic pieces worked in this technique
(Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4).
Skinnsaumur was, in fact, a coarse woollen imitation of mixed guipure lace (Fig.
5); narrow woven and braided bands were used as tape in No. 554 a, b, braided
bands only in Nos. 1005 and 4211. The woven bands were worked in fótvefnaOur
(foot weaving, literally translated); the warp was stretched on the foot of the
weaver, the foot keeping open one shed, the other shed being opened by means
of pulling simple heddles made of a single long strand of thread (Fig. 7). In
this manner plain tabby woven bands for various purposes were commonly
produced in Iceland.
The braided bands, called kríluð bands, were worked with five (Nos. 554 a,b
and 1005) or seven (No. 4211) long loops placed on the fingers and braided as
shown in Fig. 8. Examples of kriluÖ bands are shown in Fig. 9. With loops longer
than one meter a second person would have to assist in pushing the threads in the
braid together.
The bars in No. 554 a,b were worked in blanket stitch (Fig. 10 a,c), the looped
edging on No. 4211 in buttonhole stitch (Fig. 10 b,d). In all four pieces the
réseau was worked in buttonhole stitch, the stitches being arranged in two
different ways (Fig. 10 e,f).
No explanation of the term skinnsaumur was found, but most likely it origin-
ated from the work being executed on skin or parchment in the manner of
needlepoint lace (Fig. 6).
At the outset of this study, the term slcinnsaumur was known only from a few
entries in the inventory of the National Museum of Iceland, and in all of these
the use of the word seemed to stem from information acquired in 1858 by Sigurður
Guðmundsson, the first director of the museum. Attempts were made to locate
the word in other sources such as documents from the 18th century and the first
half of the 19th century in the National Archives of Iceland. It was possible
(for lack of time) to examine only a small portion of relevant documents chosen
rather arbitrarily; altogether 73 documents, dating from 1731 to 1836, concerning
women’s clothing were examined, but out of 128 riding coats listed therein, 47
of which were decorated with bands, the majority of them pile woven, only 3 were
described as being decorated with bands of skinnsaumur. In one instance the lower
part of a woman’s skirt was described as being decorated with two rows of skinn-
saumur.
Descriptions of costume in printed travellogues from Iceland from the 2nd half
of the 18th century and the lst half of the 19th were also studied but no mention
was found of skinnsaumur. In one instance, however, reference was made to the
hempa being decorated with work resembling point de la reine (cf. notes 48 and 50);
this may well have been skinnsaumur.
The existing pieces of skinnsaumur most likely date from the latter half of the
18th century or the beginning of the 19th, but the patterns of the bands are older.
The type of design on Nos. 1005 and 4211, wich are almost identical in pattern,