New Estonian National Museum exhibition spotlights traditional costumes
A new exhibition at the Estonian National Museum (ERM) explores the history of natural dyes and the dye trade through contemporary scientific research.
"The Colors of Our Clothes. The Local and the Global" at the Estonian National Museum (ERM) also draws attention to the environmental impact of the textile industry.
"This is the first time historical textile dyes are presented with this level of depth in an Estonian exhibition," says ENM Junior Researcher Liis Luhamaa, one of the exhibition's curators.
Visitors to the exhibition will learn about both local natural materials and distant trade routes that enabled people in Estonia to introduce new colors to their clothing.
"The exhibition also showcases the work of scientists and designers who drew inspiration from ancient colors as they search for more environmentally friendly methods of dyeing textiles," Luhamaa explained, in reference to the ecological impact of modern synthetic fabric dyes.
Behind the vibrant stripes and colorful embroidery of Estonian folk costumes lies the long history of the dye trade.
Red and blue hues arrived in Estonia along the same trade routes that brought spices, textiles and other goods, weaving together local craftsmanship and distant dyestuffs – from Asian indigo to South American cochineal.
"Locally, however, reddish tones were obtained from rotted alder buckthorn and common alder bark as well as bedstraw roots," said exhibition co-curator Liisi Jääts.
Jätts added that old dyeing techniques were quite specific, with some of that knowledge having been lost over time.
The exhibition presents research findings from the international EU-funded "Colour4CRAFTS" project, bringing together experts from research institutions as well as development companies investigating natural textile dyeing from a historical perspective, combining it with novel bio-based dyes and waterless technology.
One of the project's goals is to find viable alternatives to synthetic fabric dyes.
"The textile industry is considered one of the most polluting industries, using vast amounts of water and contaminating the environment. More environmentally friendly dyes and dyeing technologies would be an important breakthrough," said another of the exhibition's curators, researcher Kerttu Palginõmm.
***
"The Colors of Our Clothes: The Local and the Global" opened at the Estonian National Museum (ERM) on January 17. The exhibition will remain on display until August 30.
More information about the exhibition is available here.
---
Editor: Michael Cole, Neit-Eerik Nestor
