Dita Nociarová: Writing on textile

Using letters as part of textile decoration in the form of proverbs, monograms, names, titles or full longer texts has been known in Slovakia since the sixteenth century or even earlier. Using letters in decoration appeared due to the general spread of the knowledge of writing and with the fashion of that period. The most frequent of use of a letter as a decoration, symbol or ownership sign can be seen from the 1840s to 1950s. Texts, numbers as well as individual letters specify the location of creation or its use, dating, ethnical or confessional determination, dates of important societal and family events; they use folk verbal construction or regional terms. Therefore, they are also demonstrators of regional specifics. Monograms as graphic ownership signs used to be found on the individual parts of brides’ trousseaux. The names of the owner can be seen on decorative towels and table cloths. The most commonly found text on decorative towels is Good Morning. Christian beliefs on textiles from Slovak territory are reflected in texts, or also the use of Jesus’ monogram on textile wall papers from the first decades of the twentieth century.

Further articles magazine Craft, Art, Design 03/2005:

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