The 

 Weaving of Norwegian 

 1 apestry in America 



By Mabel Tuke Priestman 



The Foolish Virgins, a panel, eight by three, made by a lady of the Norwegian nobility, 

 and sold to the Contessa de Asarta of Italy 



T IS significant of the growth of Old World 

 industries that the ancient and beautiful craft 

 of Norwegian tapestry weaving should now 

 be creating an interest in American homes. 

 This has come about through the enterprise 

 of one or two Norwegian women, who are 

 trying to interest American craftworkers in 

 reproducing the famous Norwegian hangings, for which there 

 is a great demand in Europe. 



It is still to-day, in Norway, not permissible for other than 

 Norwegian women of noble birth to weave these tapestries, 

 but permission has been granted by the Norwegian Govern- 

 ment to make use in other countries of the original designs 

 from which they are woven. This privilege has been granted 

 for the purpose of encouraging a greater production, because 

 of the difficulty of securing a sufficient supply from Norway. 

 It is to Madame Freda Hansen that the greatest credit is 

 due for reviving an interest in the ancient tapestry weaving of 

 Norway, which hat! formerly been a valued means of earning 

 money for the ladies of the nobility, who were often very poor. 

 Madame Hansen 

 visited other Euro- 

 p e a n courts, ob- 

 tained orders and 

 distributed these 

 among these gentle- 

 women. 



Norwegian tapes- 

 try differs somewhat 

 from Gobelin and 

 Bayeux tapestries, 

 as they were done 

 almost entirely with 

 the needle, and it 

 would seem better 

 to class them under 

 the head of em- 

 broidery. Tapestry 

 and embroidery 

 have always been 

 confounded, but the 

 distinction should be 

 clearly understood. 

 Embroidery is 

 worked on a woven 

 texture having both 

 warp and weft, but 

 has no weft, whereas 

 tapestry is woven in R , ■ , ,. ■ . . ... , • , 



f J Dobinet curtains, ornamented with, designs or 



a loom Upon a Warp braid applique 



stretched along its frame, but has no weft thrown across 

 in the shuttle. The weft is done with short threads vari- 

 ously colored, and is put in by the needle. 



The Norwegians have a plan of their own, for they use 

 the shuttle for the plain parts of the weaving, and the 

 needle for taking up the alternate threads of the figured 

 parts. Their beautiful picture weavings are not sufficiently 

 known to the public, and it seems remarkable that hardly 

 any references are made to their art among all the liter- 

 ature pertaining to ancient and modern weaving. They 

 are, however, well known in the art centers of Europe, 



and keenly sought 

 after for the leading 

 museums. They are 

 also found in the 

 royal houses of Eng- 

 land, Germany. 

 Italy and Sweden, 

 as well as in Nor- 

 way. 



Norwegian weav- 

 ing is always done 

 in an upright loom, 

 and the colored 

 picture to be re- 

 produced is placed 

 behind the warp 

 threads, so that the 

 weaver has only to 

 look through the 

 warp threads to see 

 what colors to use. 

 A good Norwegian 



n »s watim - a " r k r vs , iu ^ 



now much wool will 

 be required for each 

 textile, and spins 

 and dyes just the 

 right amount as a 

 painter would mix 

 his colors on a pal- 

 ette. The wools 

 are all dyed with 

 long-tried vegetable 

 dyes, and as many 

 of the old tapestries are as perfect in coloring as when 

 they were woven, the buying of the best Norwegian 

 wool is a necessity if real Norwegian tapestry is to be 

 devised. It is dyed in the most exquisite art shades, and 

 it does not seem expensive when compared with the 



Figured cretonne makes an effective hanging. 

 A bead design of this kind lends itself to 

 applique. Cut away the background and 

 apply the flowers and bands to a plain 

 surface 



