In a message dated 6/19/03 2:49:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< As requested, I will send the Mountain Adventure to Lace-Chat only and anyone else on Lace who wants it separately. >> ------- To Whomever Requested Angela Write to Chat Only: Why was Angela told she could not simply write to both lists? Sometimes I wonder .... we are an International group, and Angela is recognized in many countries as a textile expert. Her writings can be found in books she has authored and in numerous needlework publications. She has been writing and lecturing for a long time, and her account of her travels in Poland stimulated interesting correspondence on Arachne. I realize that Angela's most recent trip was to a place where there is thought to be no lace, but if we understand the cultures of these places, then we understand why there is no lace. Some would think that of no use, but I was prompted by correspondence on this list about four years ago to expand my book collecting focus and research to - and beyond - the Middle East. I am seeking evidence of lace in the traditional costumes of Asia, and I expect to eventually find it - if given enough time. Since the finest of textiles originated in the Orient, I believe we will eventually receive reports of ancient laces being excavated in places we cannot, today, imagine. It is acknowledged that there are many treasures buried in China, but the tombs have not been opened, because of a lack of funds and a lack of Chinese archeologists. Some embroideries that have surfaced are extraordinary and could not have been imagined. Textiles "evaporate" in alien environmental conditions. That does not mean they did not exist. When I went on an embroidery tour of China 20 years ago (a year after it became possible for Americans to travel in China for the first time in decades) I was surprised to see that the Ming Tombs (plural) may well be there, but at the time, only one was open. You can see large mounds where other tombs are located, but can only speculate as to what they might contain. Years ago, a complete body covering (like a body suit) of thin flat square jade stones was excavated in China. It was a burial garment. This toured museums throughout the world. Who would have imagined such a thing? It helps understanding to be exposed to "possibilities" and if Angela went to see a culture that has not been well-studied by the rest of us, she was probably partially motivated by her interest in textiles, costumes, embroidery, beads and lace. What the women in a remote region weave and make to wear is of interest. It ties in with my comments yesterday on the too general subject of "Arab Lace" - and why it does not appear to exist. Continents have shifted, the icecaps of the world expanded and melted, deserts suddenly appeared and conquered great jungles. What was oceans became land. What was land became oceans. We need to understand the lace "have nots" as well as the lace "haves". And then, we need to think of what "might have been" and "may be found". Dearest Angela: Did you wear any lace-trimmed garments during your travels? Obviously, I mean the machine laces that trim our clothes. And, if you did, were they something that could be seen? Any reactions? Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED]
