Kelly Manjula Koza | Sardinian Arts

2017-02-212021-09-07

Loom Types

This is one of the educational posters from Sardinian Textiles: An Exhibit of Handwoven Art, held at the Italian Cultural Center – San Francisco in 2017. The text is first, followed by the poster.

There’s certainly much more to discuss about this topic — and I expand greatly on this during my live presentations and in articles you’ll find on this site and elsewhere. Sign up for the newsletter to stay connected!

There are many different classifications and types of looms, generally referring to how the movements of the loom are made and the structure of the loom.

Traditional hand looms are powered entirely by hand and foot. Power looms are those in which movements are powered by hydraulic or electric means. Weavers can stop the motion of a powerloom to add hand decoration to a weaving, and then engage the loom’s automated power function to continue. Mills use large computerized electric or hydraulic looms that require little to no human interaction to create many identical items within a short time.

There are two primary configurations of looms: horizontal and vertical. Weavers using vertical looms start from the bottom of the loom and build the textile upwards, using their fingers to pass weft threads through the warp threads one at a time. The threads are tightened, or beaten, using a small hand beater distinct from the loom.

Horizontal looms are generally more complex than vertical looms, facilitating the construction of pibiones as well as complex repeating warp/weft patterns.

Heddles, or frames that contain needles through which warp fibers are threaded, are controlled by foot pedals, and raise or lower many warp threads at one time. This enables the weaver to pass a wooden shuttle carrying weft thread through the warp, or place a needle around which pibiones are wound on top of the warp threads. The threads are tightened using a beater bar that’s attached to the loom and runs the entire width of the warp. The beater bar is moved by hand or electric/hydraulic power.

2017-02-202021-09-07

History

This is one of the educational posters from Sardinian Textiles: An Exhibit of Handwoven Art, held at the Italian Cultural Center – San Francisco in 2017. The text is first, followed by the poster.

Looms were prized and essential items in Sardinian households for centuries. Weaving was every woman’s work, and girls learned to weave at a young age. The women wove their corredo, or hope chest textiles, as well as items for daily use and various ceremonial items that were gifted, often prized and used for a lifetime.

After the second world war, power looms and commercial mills began to appear on the island, and production of everyday items started to shift away from the household.

By the late 70’s, almost all of the studios and small shops had switched to using power looms, and items for daily user were made in mills. Today, very few professional handweavers remain.

Similarly, the process of collecting and preparing fibers by hand has virtually disappeared. The preparation of wool, linen, silk, and cotton fibers for weaving was often a communal event.

Today, almost all Sardinian handweavers use fibers that are processed at Sardinia’s one remaining wool processing house, and/or high-quality linen and Egyptian cotton.

2017-02-202021-09-07

Designs

Designs and motifs used in the weavings vary according to the region, type of loom used, and the items woven.

Birds — doves, peacocks, and domestic hens and cocks — are common, as are deer, baskets of eggs, bunches of grain, grapes, grape leaves, flowers, and other agricultural symbols. Dragons, gryphons, and mythological figures are also found, especially on older textiles.

Many textiles have geometric designs, ranging from stylized flowers to diamonds, triangles, and stepped shapes representing the cycle of birth, growth, harvest, and death/decay.

The zig zags typical of funerary cloths represent water and the ebb and flow of life. The stars and seven colors traditionally used in Nule’s carpets are ancient symbols of power.

Weavers familiar with their own traditions may create textiles that are highly traditional, or they may experiment and mix modern designs with ancient patterns.

2017-02-202021-09-07

Pibiones

Pibiones are small raised bumps of thread found on the most distinctive of Sardinian textiles. The name comes from an ancient word for grapes, as pibiones feel like grapes, and grapes and the harvest play a significant part in Sardinian history.

Creating pibiones requires skill, dexterity, and patience. The pibiones are created by winding fibers around a long needle that sits on top of the weft. Each pibione is counted and wound by hand, one pibione at a time, one row at a time, matched against a pattern drawn on graph paper.

Pibiones add strength as well as design to a weaving. The best pibiones are firm to the touch and remain durable and distinct when the textile is used. To achieve the desired firmness, threads used in the pibiones are often spun a second time before being woven.

2017-02-202021-09-07

The Future

In a global economy where textiles have been commoditized, the importance of maintaining traditional handweaving and recognizing it as an art cannot be overestimated. Valuing the handweavers and the art and designs of Sardinia is key to ensuring all aspects of the textile tradition — handweavers, the studios using powerlooms, the mills, and the traditional Sardinian designs — remain rooted in and produced in Sardinia, in a sustainable and fairly-traded manner.

Traditional arts are on the verge of being lost, yet the arts and artists offer what many in the modern world seek. The manner in which Sardinian weavers work and live, their principles, and their awareness represent a heritage that can only have a great appeal for a population that lives in a high-tech world of automation and suffers incredibly high levels of stress. For those living in such conditions, the hand weavers become role models for more authentic way of life.

The preservation and elevation of the Sardinian arts, and, in particular, the art of the hand weavers is of fundamental importance: the respect for the handweavers will serve to open doorways of awareness and respect for all weavers, all Sardinian arts, and the heritage and culture of Sardinia. This, over time, will bring positive returns for all those working in tourism and commerce.

2017-02-202021-09-07

Textile Classifications

Just as the European Union recognizes different classifications of traditional food, it’s important that Sardinian textiles are classified accurately with reference to the method and place in which they are made. This will help buyers understand classifications of textiles bearing the label “Made in Sardinia”, increase esteem of all weavers in Sardinia, and protect weavers in a global economy.

The suggested classifications are:

Handmade textiles: Textiles made completely by hand, using looms where all movements and beating are done only by hand/foot, and not by a hydraulic, electronic, or computerized loom.
Hand-decorated textiles: Textiles made by hydraulic, electronic, or computerized looms, where the beating is not all done by hand/foot. The weaver stops the mechanical beating of the loom to make pibiones and/or add other decoration by hand.
Mill-made textiles: Textiles made in mills, by hydraulic, electronic, and/or computerized looms with minimum human involvement, and often where many similar objects are produced at the same time.

All the classifications permit:

The use of fibers prepared in mills.
The use of a sewing machine, if the use is to make seams/hems after the weaving is cut from the loom and the seams/hems are not decorative.

The use of fibers prepared by hand without hydraulic, electronic, or computerized tools can be indicated with the label “Hand-spun fibers”.

All three classifications have their buyers and their place in the market. The difference between the three classifications of textiles is the same as the difference between a painting by a master painter, a limited-edition print of the painting, and a poster.

If you would like to copy the textile classifications text to use on your own site or collateral, kindly include this credit and link: “Textile classifications as defined on SardinianArts.com.”

2017-01-082021-03-15

From Kelly, Sardinian Arts’ Founder

Hello all,

I started Sardinian Arts in 2013 with much respect and love of Sardinia, her traditions, heritage, arts, including, of course, her weavers. We’ve come a long way in a short time, and yet there is much work to do.

The success of Sardinian Textiles: An Exhibit of Handwoven Art in San Francisco, along with related events including Intrecciati, the international intercultural fiber arts project led by Silvio Betterelli, has launched the awareness of Sardinia and her arts into an exciting new phase. As we move forward, I’ll be writing, sharing, and reaching out more, in person and on line.

To start, you’ll see a number of notes and posts here on Facebook that are not “new” in the sense that you may have heard me discuss the topic in conversation, emails, or at an event. I’m posting the information here to more widely share, and to make the information more widely accessible.

I appreciate your reading, feedback, and support!

Kelly Manjula Koza

Thanks to Flavia Loreto for the photo taken at the Italian Cultural Institute on January 19, 2017, the the opening night of Sardinian Textiles: An Exhibit of Handwoven Art. See Flavia Loreto on Facebook.

2017-01-082021-09-13

Sardinian Arts: La nostra dichiarazione

Il mio obiettivo è educare i cittadini degli Stati Uniti alla bellezza della Sardegna, del suo popolo, delle sue tradizioni, e della sua arte, soprattutto quella delle tessitrici artigianali. Quando questa conoscenza esiste ed è ben radicata, è più facile vendere a un buon prezzo e mantenere “a casa” l’economia della regione.

Pianifico di incontrare molti dei il più ampio numero possibile di tessitrici, artisti, e tutti coloro che lavorano nel settore per aprire un dialogo permanente e di lungo periodo.

La Sardegna è benedetta con una cultura e diverse forme d’arte che devono essere rispettate, mantenute e protette. La preservazione e l’elevazione dell’arte Sarda e, in particolare, l’arte di tessere a mano, è di fondamentale importanza: Il rispetto per i tessitrici che lavorano a mano servirà da apriporta alla conoscenza di e al rispetto per tutti i tessitori, tutte le arti, e il patrimonio e la cultura della Sardegna. Questo, a sua volta, produrrà ricadute positive su tutto il settore turismo e commercio.

L’arte tessile fatta a mano in Sardegna è importante per diverse ragioni. L’arte è quasi persa. Il modo in cui i tessitrici Sardi lavorano e vivono, i loro principi, e la loro conoscenza rappresentano un patrimonio che non può che avere un grande appeal per un pubblico che vive in un mondo high-tech e soffre di livelli di stress altissimi. In queste condizioni, i tessitrici artigianali diventano modelli di riferimento per uno stile di vita più genuino.

In questo momento, i tessuti e i motivi Sardi sono quasi sconosciuti e si trovano raramente all’estero. Questa situazione offre delle opportunità. L’idea prevalente è che i tessitori Sardi siano esclusivamente dei produttori di tappeti, non di arte. È imperativo che questa percezione cambi.

Negli anni recenti, abbiamo sentito troppe storie di culture tradizionali la cui arte viene sequestrata da venditori bramosi e privi di scrupoli. I motivi rubati sono utilizzati per produrre reddito per i grandi conglomerati internazionali invece che per le comunità di origine e di produzione.

I grandi negozi dei paesi ricchi cercano motivi unici e tessuti inusuali da vendere. I tessitori dei paesi produttori d’arte “appena scoperta” sono contenti – almeno inizialmente.

Ma poi i tessitori locali provano a soddisfare la crescente domanda mediante la produzione dei telai elettronici e in fabbrica. I loro obiettivi diventano la quantità di produzione, la volume delle vendite, ed il reddito. I tessitori divengono produttori e perdono la loro identità di artisti. In questo processo, purtroppo, si perde il rispetto per i motivi, le artiste e l’arte stessa.

Questa è la strada verso il declino dell’arte e dell’economia. Il valore dei tessuti e dei loro produttori declina. Quando i tessitori divengono solamente fabbricanti, i loro motivi ed i loro tessuti divengono esclusivamente merce. Quando i motivi ed i tessitori non sono rispettati e protetti, i conglomerati internazionali e gli arredatori assegnano i contratti agli offerenti con i prezzi più bassi. Si tratta di semplice matematica, della spietata legge della domanda e dell’offerta. Nell’ economia globale, gli offerenti ai prezzi minimi non saranno mai Sardi. Certamente io mi auguro che i tessitori Sardi non provino a competere con la Cina, che vince sempre la competizione al ribasso.

In Cile, i tessitori artigianali iniziarono a tessere con telai elettronici per aumentare la quantità della produzione e soddisfare la richiesta estera. Nel processo, i tessitori e la loro arte non sono stati rispettati né protetti. Al contrario, i grandi negozi degli Stati Uniti e d’Europa hanno rubato i motivi del Cile per fare vestiti, accessori, e arredamenti e hanno spostato la produzione in Cina. I tessitori e le fabbriche del Cile, non riuscendo a competere con i grandi negozi, hanno perso la loro arte e anche il loro reddito.

Una situazione simile è successa in Kenya. Oggi, tutti i tessuti in Kenya con motivi tradizionali sono fatti in Cina e importati in Kenya. Penso che oggi ci sia solo una fabbrica ancora aperta in Kenya, di proprietà cinese.

Certamente non vogliamo che i grandi negozi o altri paesi sfruttino la Sardegna in modo analogo.

Invece, come hanno fatto il popolo indigeno della Nuova Zelanda, i Maori, ed i tessitori artigianali del Guatemala (quelli che conservano una tradizione ed i motivi simili dei tessitrici di Nule) che lottano con successo per reclamare e proteggere le loro arte tradizionale, i Sardi devono fare passi per proteggere la loro cultura.

In Sardegna, i venditori non fanno nessuna distinzione fra tessuti che sono fatti a mano, con telai elettronici o in fabbrica. Nei negozi per turisti, su internet, e pure in alcuni laboratori di tessitori, tutti i tessuti sono venduti come “artigianali” e “artigianali fatti a mano”.

Al fine di elevare la stima e il valore del loro lavoro, le tessitrici artigianali Sardi devono essere riconosciuti come artisti, ed i motivi tradizionali Sardi devono essere rispettati come arte originaria della Sardegna. Oggetti che ne incorporano i motivi devono fatti solamente da produttori locali. La protezione delle artiste e dei motivi Sardi darà vantaggio ai tutti i tessitori dell’isola.

Proprio come l’Unione Europea riconosce diverse classificazioni dei cibi tradizionali, a tal fine, è importante che i tessuti Sardi vengano classificati accuratamente con riferimento al modo ed al paese luogo in cui sono stati fatti. Le classificazioni devono essere mantenute, e che il pubblico deve essere venga educato al riguardo riguardo ai livelli. Infatti, tutti i livelli hanno il loro posto ed i loro acquirenti.

Avendo discusso e scambiato idee e opinioni con esperti negli ultimi anni, penso che un sistema di classificazioni come quello sotto descritto aiuterà gli acquirenti a comprendere i livelli dei tessuti dall’etichetta “Made in Sardegna”, aumenterà la stima per tutti i tessuti di tutti i livelli, e proteggerà i tessitori Sardi nei flussi mondiali.

Handmade textiles / Tessuti artigianali fatti a mano: I tessuti fatti completamente a mano, a telaio dove tutti i movimenti e le battute sono fatti da mani/piedi, e non a telaio idraulico, elettronico o computerizzato.
Hand-decorated textiles/Tessuti artigianali abbelliti a mano: Tessuti fatti a telaio idraulico, elettronico o computerizzato, dove tutte le battute non sono fatte da mani/piedi. Il tessitore firma la battitura meccanica con pibiones o altri abbelliti a mano.
Mill-made textiles/Tessuti fatti in fabbrica: Tessuti fatti in fabbrica, a telaio idraulico, elettronico ed/o computerizzato con minimo coinvolgimento umano, e spesso dove molti oggetti simili sono prodotti nello stesso arco di tempo.

Si permette a tutti i livelli:

L’uso di fibre preparate in fabbrica.
L’uso di una macchina da cucire purché l’uso è per fare le cuciture dopo che l’articolo è stato tagliato dal telaio e le cuciture non sono decorative.
L’uso di fibre preparate a mano senza attrezzo idraulico, elettronico o computerizzato può essere indicato con l’etichetta “Hand-spun fibers/fibre girate a mano”.

Tutti e tre i livelli hanno i loro acquirenti e il loro posto nel mercato. Non vi è nessuna competizione. Lo spiego così: La differenza fra i tre livelli di tessuti Sardi è analoga alla differenza fra un dipinto dal maestro pittore, una serigrafia a tiratura limitata, e un poster. Gli elementi importanti sono il riconoscimento per l’arte e l’apprezzamento per le artiste.

Coloro i quali sono in grado di acquistare i tessuti fatti a mano lo faranno, come coloro i quali sono interessati di acquistare un quadro originale di un pittore ben conosciuto.

Il pubblico che ammira l’arte e valuta oggetti di alta qualità, ma non è in grado di sostenere il costo di oggetti d’arte fatti esclusivamente a mano, sarà contento di pagare un buon prezzo per i tessuti fatti con telai elettronici e powerlooms. Infatti, penso che i consumatori pagheranno un prezzo più alto per gli articoli che sono fatti a powerloom quando il segmento alto del mercato percepisce i tessitori come rappresentanti di un’arte, invece che solamente fabbricanti di tessuti. Questi acquirenti saranno come quelli che acquisiscono una riproduzione limitata di un quadro.

Gli alberghi, i ristoranti e gli utenti medi che desiderano cuscini, tappeti e tovaglie per uso quotidiano cercano cose non troppo speciali perché temono di rovinarle. Servono quindi grandi produzioni e prezzi bassi: ovvero quelli dei tessuti Sardi fatti con procedure automatizzate. Infatti, i tessuti commerciali della Sardegna sono di qualità superiore e mostrano motivi Sardi che saranno rispettati come “Made in Sardinia”. Gli acquirenti saranno come quelli che acquisiscono i poster dell’arte che sono stampati in modo commerciale.

Gli elementi importanti sono il riconoscimento per l’arte e l’apprezzamento per le artiste.

Credo sinceramente che il modo in cui la Sardegna può farsi strada in modo sostenibile nei flussi mondiali sia di elevare e proteggere la sua arte. Soprattutto in questo momento in cui sono introdotti i tessuti Sardi al di fuori dell’isola, Penso che sia essenziale che le tessitrici artigianali vengano rispettati e siano presentati come artiste che esprimono una cultura unica e sono riconosciute per il proprio valore. Questo darà vantaggio a tutti i tessitori, tutte le arti e tutta la gente della Sardegna. Credo fortemente fermamente che quando la Sardegna offrirà il meglio della propria cultura al mondo, il mondo questo e tutta anche la gente della Sardegna ne profitteranno al massimo.

Kelly Manjula Koza

SardinianArts.com

2017-01-082021-09-27

Sardinian Arts: Our Statement

My goal is to educate the people of the United States about Sardinia’s beauty, her people, traditions, and arts, especially that of the weavers. When these exist as well-rooted foundations, it is easier to sell products at a good price and maintain the region’s economy within Sardinia itself.

I plan to meet with as many weavers, artists, and those who work in this field as possible, to open and maintain a permanent dialog.

Sardinia is blessed with a culture and diverse forms of art that should be respected, maintained, and protected. The preservation and elevation of the Sardinian arts, and, in particular, the art of the hand weavers is of fundamental importance: the respect for the handweavers will serve to open doorways of awareness and respect for all weavers, all their arts, and the heritage and culture of Sardinia. This, over time, will bring positive returns for all those working in tourism and commerce.

The art of handmade Sardinian textiles is important for many reasons. The art is almost lost. The manner in which Sardinian weavers work and live, their principles, and there awareness represent a heritage that can only have a great appeal for a population that lives in a high-tech world and suffers very high levels of stress. For those living in such conditions, the hand weavers become role models for more genuine lifestyle.

At this point in time, Sardinian textiles and designer are almost unknown, and rarely found outside of the island. This offers many opportunities. However, the prevailing idea is that Sardinian weavers are exclusively rug producers, not artists. It’s imperative that this perception change.

In recent years, we have heard too many stories of traditional cultures and their arts that have been appropriated by vendors who are greedy and lack scruples. Stolen designs are used to generate profit for large international conglomerates instead of the communities from which the designs come and items are traditionally produced.

The large companies from rich countries seek unique designs and unusual textiles to sell. The weavers of the “newly discovered” countries are happy — at least initially.

But then, the local weavers try to satisfy the growing demand by using powerlooms and opening mills. The focus becomes the quantity of production, sales volume, and profit. The weavers become producers and lose their identities as artists. Unfortunately, in this process, the respect for designs, the artists, and the art itself is lost.

This is the path of decline for the art and the economy. The worth of textiles and those who produce them declines. When the weavers become merely producers, their designs and their textiles become only commodities. When the designs and the weavers are not respected and protected, the international conglomerates and interior designers award contracts to the lowest bidders. They follow simple mathematics, the law of supply and demand. In the global economy, the lowest bidders will never be Sardinians. I certainly hope that Sardinian weavers will never try to compete with China, which will always win the low-cost competition.

In Chile, the traditional weavers began to weave with powerlooms to increase their production and satisfy the growing foreign demand. In the process, the weavers and their art were not respected or protected. The corporations of the United States and Europe stole designs from Chile to make clothes, accessories, and furniture in China. The Chilean weavers and factories were not able to compete with the corporations, and lost their art and their means of income.

A similar situation happened in Kenya. Today, all the textiles of traditional design in Kenya are made in China and imported into Kenya. I think there’s only one factory left in Kenya, and it’s owned by the Chinese.

Certainly we don’t want the corporations or other countries to profit from Sardinia in the same manner.

Instead, as the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Maori, and the traditional weavers of Guatemala (who have a tradition and designs similar to the weavers of Nule) have done to successfully fight and reclaim and protect their traditional arts, Sardinians should take steps to protect their culture.

In Sardinia, sellers don’t make a distinction between textiles made by hand, powerloom, or mill. In the tourist shops, on the internet, and even in some textile studios, all of these textiles are sold as “traditional” and “traditional handmade”.

For the purpose of elevating the esteem and value for their art, Sardinian weavers should be recognized as artists, and their traditional designs should be respected as art of Sardinian origin. Items which incorporate Sardinian designs should be made only by local producers. The protection of Sardinian artists and designs will be advantageous to all the weavers of the island.

Just as the European Union recognizes different classifications of traditional food, it’s important that Sardinian textiles are classified accurately with reference to the method and place in which they are made, and that the public be educated to this regard. In fact, all the classifications have their place and their buyers.

Having discussed and exchanged ideas and opinions with experts over the past years, I think that this system of classification will help buyers understand the classifications of textiles bearing the label “Made in Sardinia”, increase the esteem of all weavers of all the classifications, and protect the weavers in the global economy.

Handmade textiles: Textiles made completely by hand, using looms where all the movements and beating are done only by hand/foot, and not by a hydraulic, electronic, or computerized loom.

Hand-decorated textiles: Textiles made by hydraulic, electronic, or computerized looms, where all the beating is not done by hand/foot. The weavers stops the mechanical beating of the loom to make pibiones and/or add other decoration by hand.

Mill-made textiles: Textiles made in mills, by hydraulic, electronic, and/or computerized looms with minimum human involvement, and often where many similar objects are produced at the same time.

All the levels permit:

The use of fibers prepared in mills.
The use of a sewing machine, if the use is to make seams/hems after the weaving is cut from the loom and the seams/hems are not decorative.
The use of fibers prepared by hand without hydraulic, electronic, or computerized tools can be indicated with the label “Hand-spun fibers”.

All three classifications have their buyers and their place in the market. There is no competition. The difference between the three classifications of textiles is the same as the difference between a painting by a master painter, a limited-edition print of the painting, and a poster.

Those who are able to purchase a handmade textile do so, just as those do who are interested and able to purchase an original painting by a well-know artist.

The people who admire the art and value high-quality, but are not able to afford the cost of articles that are entirely handmade are content to pay a good price for textiles made on powerlooms. In fact, I think that consumers will pay a higher price for articles made on powerlooms when high-end sellers perceive the weavers as representatives of an art, rather than only as producers of textiles. These buyers are like those who purchase limited edition prints of a painting.

Hotels, restaurant, and average users who want pillows, rugs, and curtains for daily use seek items that are not overly costly because they understand the items will be wear with constant use. Low-cost items produced in quantity — mill-made items — serve them well. In fact, commercially-made Sardinian textiles are of higher quality than most in the United States, and the label “Made in Sardinian” is of value. The buyers of these textiles are like those who purchase posters, commercially-printed representations of art.

The important elements are the recognition of the art and appreciation for the artist.

I sincerely believe that the method by which Sardinia can advance in a sustainable means in world commerce is to elevate and protect her arts. I think that it’s essential that the hand weavers are respected and are presented as artists who express a unique culture. This will benefit all the weavers, all the arts, and all the people of Sardinia. I firmly believe that when Sardinia offers the best of their own culture to the world, the world and all the people of Sardinia will derive the most benefit.

Kelly Manjula Koza

SardinianArts.com