Textile reconstructions
We regularly work on textile reconstructions or interpretations of historical clothing, and we would like to present the process behind their creation here. When producing these items, we base our work on archaeological evidence or, if this is not possible, at least on the relevant manufacturing methods of the respective period.
2023 - Etruscan tunic (5th century BC)
This project aims to recreate a tunic for a man from the Etruscan period. No concrete models in the form of textile finds were available for this purpose. In terms of the manufacturing method, we have resorted to methods that are likely to have been used in the Etruscan period. The special feature of this project is the decorative borders at the neckline/shoulders and hem, which were woven at the same time as the plain weave fabric. While the weft threads of the fabric continue to run concealed in the side ribbing, thus combining the fabric and border into a single unit, additional coloured pattern wefts form the decorations on the upper side of the ribbed border. They appear as floats in the area of the red and blue circles on the surface and otherwise run concealed inside the ribbed fabric. The borders are unpatterned on the reverse side. We used illustrations of the Tomba del Triclinio in Tarquinia (470 BC) as a model for the colour scheme and arrangement of decorative elements.
2022 – Late Antiquity Tunica manicata (3rd century)
In the production of this tunic, the ancient manufacturing methods were probably used in their entirety for the first time since the 3rd century. The tunic consists of a white base fabric made of fine wool in plain weave. Decorative elements are incorporated into the weft ribs. The working methods used correspond to the many textile fragments that have been found from the late antique period. The challenge with this working method is to combine the two types of fabric into a harmonious overall fabric. Plain weave and weft ribs have very different fabric densities and also contract very differently. The round contours of the circular elements (orbiculi) are particularly challenging.
The tunic was made in three parts. A centre piece with the sleeves and the upper body/back area and two identical pieces with which the tunic was extended below the belt. The manufacturing method is also documented by textile finds. These tunics also feature a woven neck slit. The fabric is divided into two separate strips, which are joined again after the neckline. This detail can only be produced if the textile is woven crosswise. In other words, not in the direction from the hem to the shoulder, but in the direction from side seam to side seam. The floor mosaics of Piazza Armerina form the basis for the colour design and shape/arrangement of the decorative elements.
2021 - Hallstatt No. 91, No. 60 + 123 and Dürrnberg No. 2375-1 (Iron Age 1200 BC - 550 BC)
These four textiles were produced in 2021 for the Prehistoric Department of the Natural History Museum in Vienna. They are as accurate as possible reconstructions of small textile fragments found in the salt mines of Hallstatt and Dürrnberg. Accordingly, very thin, untwisted wool yarns were used to reproduce the fineness of the fabric. The arrangement of the different colours and the weave sequence also had to be determined from the tiny textile fragments and projected onto a larger textile surface.
Hallstatt Textile No. 91 features a complex check pattern. The original does not preserve the entire sequence, so a harmonious extension of the pattern had to be found that matches the regularly alternating herringbone twill. The fabric was enlarged to such an extent that it can be used as a coat.
Halltex No. 123 is a tablet-woven border that was combined with textile No. 60 to form a peblos. The border was woven onto the fabric as an imitation of a so-called initial border. The original Halltex No. 60 has a spinning direction pattern that unfortunately could not be reconstructed due to the availability of materials.
The Dürrnberg textile No. 2375-1 has a fine check pattern with thin red stripes. The stripes cross at a distance of about 1 cm. The fabric itself is a herringbone twill. However, the sequence of the herringbone does not match the check pattern. The small textile fragment was interpreted as part of a large coat fabric used as a cloak.
