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anotheranonIt was a whirlwind:
Saturday I got up early to go to a day of curator-guided exhibit visits with this group, many of whom I had not seen since Philadelphia 2005, which is a damn pity as they are awfully friendly and have brains to burn (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
skill_grl, I apologize for not inviting you along but my decision to go was kinda last minute).
First off, Identity By Design guided by a native interpreter - most of these were garments of the Plains and Western tribes, and our guide, being half Lakota, had either experienced some of the rituals around the dresses or had relatives who had.
One of the reasons I love traditional clothing is that it's laden with practicality and symbolism. The leather fringes on dresses were used as emergency ties and thread; the beadwork symbolized connections to family or spirituality. All parts of an animal were used, and women only wore the skin of female deer because it was believed the wearer took on the traits of the animals they wore.
The story behind the coming-of-age dress (cannot remember the tribe and am too lazy to go get the exhibit catalog upstairs) - a teenage girl had to hunt the deer herself, skin it, prepare the meat, tan and dye the leather, and make/decorate the dress herself. At the end of the rites, she was accepted as a woman. After all that, I would hope so!
Perhaps the rarest items on display were three dresses worn for the Ghost Dances. Not rare in number but they are seldom shown and are so sacred to the tribes in question that photos were forbidden.
After a lunch and leisurely stroll around the rest of the museum, we took taxis to And So To Bed for a curator-led tour. Had I known how much costume was involved in the exhibit in addition to historical sheets, towels, and bed linens I would have made more of an effort to have gone before now - miles and miles of crisp white linen nightshifts and caps! Also some displays of "morning wear", what the people who didn't have to go straight to work after getting up wore to the breakfast table - many were very elaborate and beautiful. After hearing my descriptions of the banyans on display, D. wants one :)
Also got to talk with some people from here, so once I get down to Jamestown/Williamsburg I know some local people. Sweet :)
And it's a stupid thing - I can fence for 3 hours in "fiddler crab" position and I'm well, if tired, but standing for the same amount of time looking at lush fabrics and I'm cursing under my breath at the dagger driving into my spine. I was grateful to sit down for the CSA board meeting!
After stretching and resting last night, I got up this morning for mock team tournament fencing at club. Team fencing is kind of a relay - 2 teams of 3 fencers each fence for a total of 45 points. Everyone fences everyone else (9 bouts) but due to numbers we had 3 teams going so one team fenced both (maniacs!!) and between people coming late, leaving early, taking lessons, and the remembering the running totals for 3 teams it was very, very hard to keep track.
I've concluded: fencing on a team isn't that bad if you're on a team with people who won't ride you for not winning - that's the attitude that put me off all team sports back in school so I'm glad I didn't encounter it today. I did have to have stern words with one kid who was hitting WAY too hard (I have residual bruising from a hit to my arm despite jacket + underarm protector) but this has less to do with his being fiercely competitive than with being a teenager who is likely constantly re-learning his strength. I'm so glad I'm old :)
And B. made homemade cookies again. Any activity is improved with chocolate :)
I sit at the screen finishing up the side seams on my smock and debating whether to iron them flat or just go to bed. Looking at the clock I'm guessing the latter is a better bet :P
Saturday I got up early to go to a day of curator-guided exhibit visits with this group, many of whom I had not seen since Philadelphia 2005, which is a damn pity as they are awfully friendly and have brains to burn (
skill_grl, I apologize for not inviting you along but my decision to go was kinda last minute).First off, Identity By Design guided by a native interpreter - most of these were garments of the Plains and Western tribes, and our guide, being half Lakota, had either experienced some of the rituals around the dresses or had relatives who had.
One of the reasons I love traditional clothing is that it's laden with practicality and symbolism. The leather fringes on dresses were used as emergency ties and thread; the beadwork symbolized connections to family or spirituality. All parts of an animal were used, and women only wore the skin of female deer because it was believed the wearer took on the traits of the animals they wore.
The story behind the coming-of-age dress (cannot remember the tribe and am too lazy to go get the exhibit catalog upstairs) - a teenage girl had to hunt the deer herself, skin it, prepare the meat, tan and dye the leather, and make/decorate the dress herself. At the end of the rites, she was accepted as a woman. After all that, I would hope so!
Perhaps the rarest items on display were three dresses worn for the Ghost Dances. Not rare in number but they are seldom shown and are so sacred to the tribes in question that photos were forbidden.
After a lunch and leisurely stroll around the rest of the museum, we took taxis to And So To Bed for a curator-led tour. Had I known how much costume was involved in the exhibit in addition to historical sheets, towels, and bed linens I would have made more of an effort to have gone before now - miles and miles of crisp white linen nightshifts and caps! Also some displays of "morning wear", what the people who didn't have to go straight to work after getting up wore to the breakfast table - many were very elaborate and beautiful. After hearing my descriptions of the banyans on display, D. wants one :)
Also got to talk with some people from here, so once I get down to Jamestown/Williamsburg I know some local people. Sweet :)
And it's a stupid thing - I can fence for 3 hours in "fiddler crab" position and I'm well, if tired, but standing for the same amount of time looking at lush fabrics and I'm cursing under my breath at the dagger driving into my spine. I was grateful to sit down for the CSA board meeting!
After stretching and resting last night, I got up this morning for mock team tournament fencing at club. Team fencing is kind of a relay - 2 teams of 3 fencers each fence for a total of 45 points. Everyone fences everyone else (9 bouts) but due to numbers we had 3 teams going so one team fenced both (maniacs!!) and between people coming late, leaving early, taking lessons, and the remembering the running totals for 3 teams it was very, very hard to keep track.
I've concluded: fencing on a team isn't that bad if you're on a team with people who won't ride you for not winning - that's the attitude that put me off all team sports back in school so I'm glad I didn't encounter it today. I did have to have stern words with one kid who was hitting WAY too hard (I have residual bruising from a hit to my arm despite jacket + underarm protector) but this has less to do with his being fiercely competitive than with being a teenager who is likely constantly re-learning his strength. I'm so glad I'm old :)
And B. made homemade cookies again. Any activity is improved with chocolate :)
I sit at the screen finishing up the side seams on my smock and debating whether to iron them flat or just go to bed. Looking at the clock I'm guessing the latter is a better bet :P
