Zeeuws Museum

CHINTZ, CAMLET & BOMBAZINE

Forgotten fabrics, 6 Nov 2010to 30 Oct 2011

Chintz, camlet and bombazine are just a few of the curious names of fabrics in the collection of the ZeeuwsMuseum. Today you rarely encounter these exotic materials but they were once used to make practically all the elements of Zeeland’s traditional costume. In 2011 the ZeeuwsMuseumis inviting designers to seek inspiration in these forgotten fabrics and to give them a new life in furniture, tapestries or bedspreads. Throughout the year these designs will be added to the exhibition, which will continue to grow. Chintz, Camlet & Bombazine shows the great diversity of the museum’s fashion collection and initiates research into the history of our fabrics. The emphasis is not on the garments but on the material: the history of the various techniques used to make the clothes. The Johan van den Acker Textile Factory in Gemert has an important role in this project. The company has produced woven fabrics for regional costumes throughout the Netherlandssince 1806. The museum will display the company’s beautiful historical sample books and the company’s contemporary range of furnishing fabrics called John & Henri’s, in which the authentic regional patterns are still recognisable.

www.zeeuwsmuseum.nl