This thesis researches the visual traces left behind by people on Indo-Egyptian textiles that have been excavated in medieval Islamic Quseir al-Qadim in Egypt. These textiles have been previously...Show moreThis thesis researches the visual traces left behind by people on Indo-Egyptian textiles that have been excavated in medieval Islamic Quseir al-Qadim in Egypt. These textiles have been previously researched in the forms of a technical analysis on the Quseir al-Qadim textiles specifically and C-14 dating on a collection of Indo-Egyptian textiles from the Ashmolean Museum. This research is expanded upon in this thesis by looking at visible traces in the form of stitching on the textiles and the torn edges of the textiles. These stitches were used as a way to expand the size of the textile and as a way to mend holes and tears that formed in the textile through use. Expanding the size is a social interaction as it was a conscious decision to expand the fabric size to fit a certain size used for creating an object. The act of mending has socialisation in two parts however, the first part where an action or continues actions led to the tear of hole, and the second part where this tear or hole was mended. The second type of social interaction with the fabric is through the edges. The edges were torn deliberately as the edge follows a weft or warp thread very neatly, as well as coming together in a 90 degree angle in some cases. The reason for this is unknown as it is not possible to determine at what stage this modification happened, if it was the final stage of its use, or if it was torn that way specifically to be discarded. These conclusions are accompanied by a life biography written about one of the textiles which goes over the entire life with a specific focus on all of the social interactions the textile may have had with the people who were involved with it at one point.Show less
This thesis analyses formal kimonos for young women and their prints. This paper attempts to draw a connection between femininity and symbolism through the use of flowers and colours.
Touch and interactivity is becoming increasingly popular in museums countering decades of traditional museum styles and creating new ways to experience culture. This paper examines five cultural...Show moreTouch and interactivity is becoming increasingly popular in museums countering decades of traditional museum styles and creating new ways to experience culture. This paper examines five cultural heritage institutions in the Netherlands and specifically focuses on the use of handling and interactivity with collection and display objects for the general public. Niel Kotler's 2004 article "New ways of experiencing culture: the role of museums and marketing" provides the basis for the ideas on where museums fit into a cultural framework and the importance of experience for education. By exploring this idea this paper answers questions about what modern museums and collections are doing to meet the growing public demand and general necessity of increased accessibility to and understanding of objects with importance to cultural heritage. How these methods for allowing touch and interactivity contribute to the learning and understanding of participants about the objects and their cultural importance is one of the main focuses. Each institution is discussed thoroughly under a division of themes between how handling is introduced through an educational lens and an exhibition lens. The paper concludes that museums are far more open to interactivity with collection objects than is often assumed by both museum studies and by the public. A positive outlook is concluded on behalf of the efforts which provides an understanding of the importance of the work being done to increase public knowledge and understanding of historical and cultural objects through the ability to handle and closely interact with objects. These efforts will be essential for the continued preservation of objects as well as technqiues, stories, cultures, and histories for years to come.Show less
Johannesburg the “city of creativity” is known for its modernity and its cultivation of a postApartheid urban identity that remains central to its profile as a contemporary South African city....Show moreJohannesburg the “city of creativity” is known for its modernity and its cultivation of a postApartheid urban identity that remains central to its profile as a contemporary South African city. However, South Africa as a nation is troubled by high levels of unemployment that disproportionally affect Black South African women. This thesis paper intends to analyse Johannesburg’s fashion and textile industry as a means to promote development through the inclusivity of women. It analyses their current roles in creative industries and the ways in which the fashion and textile industries can increase their accessibility for further inclusion of women. Additionally, this thesis looks at ways in which the fashion and textile industries can expand to promote increased income generation for the women already involved.Show less
