Saturday 27 April 2013

Konya

Today we were bussed about 500 km eastwards to Konya. The countryside is high mountains with snow on them and large fertile valleys between. There were lots of cherry orchards in flower. We even saw a few flocks of sheep moving across the countryside with the shepherd walking in the middle of the sheep. The houses in the towns and villages look just like European houses. Four square with red tiles on the roofs.

At Konya, we were shown round the school/establishment set up in the 12th century for Dervishes. All very interesting . There were a few coats on show dating from 12/13th century. The basis was ivory moire sIlk. Rather nice. The cloths used to drape over the coffins were heavily embroidered with tulips, carnations and other flowers. Like stump work only in gold thread.

But the highlight was a room full of books!!! They mostly had Arabic style binding in dleather. Imagine a normal leather bound book where the back cover had an extension in the leather terminated with a third cover so that when this was folded over, it covered the front cover. Lots of gold tooling with very fine detail. Another book had octagonal pages about two inches across. Calligraphy was readable but the writer must had good eyesight. The whole was contained in an octagonal box.

I saw these outside the library where photography was allowed.

Note the tulips which are the Turkish national flower. The Museum shop of course had nothing about books and only a very expensive book about calligraphy.

 

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I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.