Wednesday 30 December 2015

Death and Textiles

Had a quick trip into Bristol just before Christmas for a teeny bit of shopping, but mostly to visit Death - The human experience, an exhibition at Bristol Museum.  As ever, I was drawn to the textile and tribal pieces like this Igbo dance costume.

And this Aboriginal 'coffin' (a sort of urn for bones)
The exhibition tries to show artefacts relating to death in various different cultures, but lack of space (and presumably resources too) meant that the choices seemed a bit random. But there were plenty of interesting items, including this spectacular lion-shaped coffin.
I intended visiting over a month ago, but was thwarted by a particularly nasty and lingering cold that everyone has been enjoying like it was the latest fashion. So I was very pleased to finally get there.
 
The day was made even better by discovering a rather wonderful vintage textile shop on our way to the museum.
I remember this shop from many years ago, when it was one of those tantalising places that never opened, but through the window, you could see overflowing cabinets of vintage haberdashery, sparkly jewellery and general loveliness. Now somebody else owns the shop, but the cabinets are still in there, and there is a lot of loveliness. There was also a very chatty and friendly gent, busy at his sewing machine, who welcomed and entertained us as we browsed.
It was altogether a lovely experience, especially as I bought four vintage hankies and a small piece of fabric for the very reasonable price of £3.50! So if you're a textile enthusiast and find yourself anywhere near Lower Clifton Hill in Bristol, I recommend a visit.