Thursday, the we had three guides, to Vera and Jan come Milca Eremiasov� and we travelled again to the south-est and reached after lunch Bratislava in the Slovacian Rep. This city has a wonderful atmosphere, so lively. At home I read in the guide that they are "only" 400.000 inhabitants and I couldn't belief. The big river, actually there are two which soround the city. The book said also that about 100 years ago most actors, actresses, singers who started here come very quick to Vienna and later often to Berlin and became famous. Sorry for the little excursion.
So we first visit in the castle the Historical Museum. The lady's from the museum decorated a big table with all sorts of laces they had and have in their country. Small coloured labels with the name of the region were put beside and on the wall on a map we could find out were every part is. We could ask what we want but again I had the impression some of us knew more about lace in general and even from this part. But nevertheless we tried to take everything in our head and take it away. Only my camera had another idea, at home I found out it wasn't my fault, happily, there was something wrong with the stick. Ok.
Next point the Slovensk� N�rodni galerie to the works of the famous Elena Holeczyov�. She was the first slovacian lace-maker who revolt the lace in her country, you remember Marie Sedlackov�. At the time this two lady's were born their countries belonged to the �sterreich-Ungarische Monarchie in Vienna. In 1918 the Czechoslovakia became independent, and today they are two autonomous countries. You see, again Europian history. Elena is born in 1906 she studied at the School of Applied Arts in Prague. Two years, from 1927 till 1929 she worked in research about Slovak costumes and embroidery. This influenced her to design of folk textiles and lace and brought her to create artistic lace. She died in 1983 in Prague. Her lace-works are in a way narrative and she has a distinctive way. I am sorry I don't have pictures of my own perhaps I can show you some later.
In the Municipal Museum were the works from several groups of lacemakers from there. Everything mixed hats, doilies, Free-hand-Lace-reconstruction, pictures and so on.
Back to the bus and in our czech hotel.
Friday morning we came to another important point in our history. The battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon. Actualy we weren't on the battle field but in the city Slavkov u Brna and in the big castle. On the first floor is a big exhibition about Napoleon including a bed in which he never slept because he prefered his campbed.
But we wanted to see lace and today again something very fine, sorry Tamara I like this sort of lace. Here we found an exhibition from a lot of works from Milca Eremiasov�, you see the circle closes. We spoke with her still the day before about her work and she told us which music she loves and how much the sea. So I was very excited what we will see. Yes it was fantastic, Some of you have perhaps seen their madonnas and other figures, the sea-pictures in their blue/green/grey are marbellous. She is born in 1938 and studied lace by Emilie Palickov� and Antonin Kybal. From 1962 till 1990 she worked as a teacher at the School Institute of Industrial Arts in Prague. Than she transferred to the Private Master's School till 1995. After that she worked more and more independent. She had exhibitions nearly everywhere and got lots of prizes. If you ever are in Prague fone her perhaps you can visit her.
At Brno, our next station, we saw a wonderfull exhibition through the lace-development of this country, but again not enough time.
Then the highlight, Art-School of Brno. Nearly the same as in Prague. It was an exhibition about students, graduates and teachers. One could see how they develop step by step how to make a design and I looked and looked, I was in the paradise.
After Lunch we drove a bit into the mountain and suddenly we saw a castle, then it disapeared and came again in our sight. But the last part we have to do by feet. The castle of Vranov na Dyji is majestic situated on the top of a hill and looks around the country. There was a medivial small castle wich belonged to the bohemian kings. Later it belonged to several Noble men and in 1688 it was renoved as a baroque castle under the Duc of Althan from the famous Fischer von Erlach. There in the coach house is a fantastic exhibition "Lace in Castle and Village", till 30th september 2004. Laces on dresses and costumes of noble men, portraits of them but also what rich middle-class people wear in former times. It was a wonderful end of the journey. Again our bus was the last one back on Campus so we didn't get much about the last-festive-evening. Jeri and Ilona were still waiting for Jean and me, and after that we sank again more then tired in our beds.
We had a great time. It was a pity that I couldn't manage nor the arachne-meeting neither Tamara, but I meet a lot of lovely people arachne and others.
Greetings
Ilske
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