People know my interests and send me stuff. This morning, two friends sent a link to this article:
A week ago a Russian Facebook friend tagged me in a post. An illustrated Russian filmstrip from 1969 was posted online, and the title page included “Swedish tapestries.” But one of them is clearly a reference to the most well-known Norwegian billedvev (tapestry) image of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. What a funny thing–one I never would have seen if it wasn’t for my global community of weavers.
This pillow cover from the Valdres Folk Museum is almost the same. The leaping animal image at top left resembles an old Swedish or Norwegian pattern. The animal below is in the same family, from a pillow top included in Henrik Grosch’s compilation, Gammel Norsk Vævkunst, Volume II.
I feel honored when people pass along serendipitous finds that remind them of my ongoing research. These sorts of emails are a welcome diversion from the emails with bids for repairing the old pipes in our house!