CLOTHED IN SPIDERWEBS AND CLOUDS

"The nettle thread is, when the preparation is finished, blended white in a way that cannot be surpassed by anything of any other substance, and at that fine, so fine that it is left only to silk. By an exceedingly simple treatment of the nettle, the dyer obtains a colour, the effect of which is perfectly dry to compare with that of silk: the natural gloss helps, so to speak, with the dyeing, shimmers through every colour, and enlivens it, so that it is a pleasure to see the dyed yarn." (Oppland newspaper 10 October 1881, page 2. (Written in an old-fashioned way, difficult to translate.)

WEDDING DRESS 1797

This stunning chemise dress was probably worn by Baroness Eleonora Sophie Rantazau (b. 1779), when she married Count Preben Bille-Brahe, Hvedholm. The dress is in the National Museum in Copenhagen.

The dress is made of "Nettle cloth - nettle fiber fabric" and is described as follows by the museum:

The dress consists of a skirt and waist. The skirt has rough, white embroidery at the bottom. The very short waist is lined and has an internal lacing device at the front. At the back, the fabric is tucked in at the waist. The front pieces are gathered at the waist, go up over the shoulders and meet at a point at the back, where they form a collar-like crew. The dress is tied together in the front. The sleeves are half-length and lined. The skirt is long and has a trail at the back.

Dress, white moll, mouse. no. W.8.h

Nettle cloth, i.e. fabric made of nettle fibres. White, with white embroidery.

Skirt, back length: 135 cm

Skirt, front length: 113 cm

The museum is even so friendly that it is possible to download the dress pattern!

DRESS FROM TELEMARK MUSEUM

The dress came to Telemark Museum's textile collection in 1923. It belonged to Maren Caroline Sartz, née Bugge (1798 -1834), married to Lieutenant Aleksander Bugge (1790-1852) who was a lumber merchant in Larvik.

This is an empire dress produced between 1820 – 1834 with a high waist, puff sleeves and decorated with silk ribbons and lace. The technique is woven-linen hand stitching with lace decoration. As is clear from older descriptions of the dress, the material in the dress may be made of nettle fiber, so-called nettle cloth.

Item number: TGM-BM.1923-24:068, read more information about the dress at Digitalt Museum

Som en kuriositet anbefaler jeg også å flere skatter fra Telemark Museum, feks Maren Caroline Sartz’s sko og ikke minst hennes hefte over hårhåndarbeider og klokkekjede laget av hår! Maren Caroline var mor til professor Sophus Bugge som med sin vide og dype historiske forskning (jeg skal ikke engag prøve å gjengi den) får professor Drøvel til å blekne.

As a curiosity, I also recommend several treasures from Telemark Museum, such as Maren Caroline Sartz's shoes and not least her booklet on hair handicrafts and a bell chain made of hair!

What these three garments have in common is that they look as if they were spun from cobwebs and clouds! But were they made of nettles?

COTTON IN THE NETTLE WEAVE = CUCKOO'S EGG IN THE NEST

Selv om det står i plaggenes beskrivelse at de er de laget av nettleduk, kan det likevel vise seg å ikke stemme. (Men la oss håpe de er det!) På 16 -1800 tallet økte nemlig import av bomull og andre spinnefiber fra den store verden. Med inntoget av den industrielle revolusjonen ble det mulig for flere å kjøpe ferdig vevde stoffer, eller i det minste, fiber klare for spinning. Men til tross for at brenneslen gradvis ble erstattet med andre fibre i tekstilproduksjonen, beholdt nettelduken navnet. Helt inn i 1940 tallet ble det annonsert nettelduktekstiler for salg i Norge, men som ikke inneholdt en trevl av brennesle. Allerede i 1798 skrev Carl Philipp Funke om brennesletekstil som noe fra forrige tider, og at den var finere enn bomull:

"Netteldug (Musselin) har faatt navn derfra,at man i forrige Tider vevede den av at tilberedte og spundne Traade av den store Nessle, men der naturligviis ogsaa maatte være en meget glattere Tøjsort, end den nuværende Netteldug av Bomuldse garn".[1]

Gunnar Weisæth writes that wild nettle had less fiber per plant than the "new variety", but in return gave better quality. "Even here in Norway, nettle yarn was preferred to linen yarn in the fabrics that were used in the village mills for sifting flour."[2]

Some believe that nettle was made from flax and hemp long before both cotton and the industrial revolution. Nevertheless, nettle textile had an ingredient that made it so exclusive that it was preferred over silk and other exclusive textiles. 

WHAT IT WAS will be another post about bloodshed, cemeteries and pain, - princesses and noblemen. You must include that post you. Subscribe to the blog here at the bottom of the page. Subscribe, subscribe!

[1]Funke, Carl Philipp. Naturhistorie og Technologie for Lærere i Skoler og for dem, som (nyder?) disse Videnskaber. 1798, side 672. [2] Weisæth Gunnar. Brennesle som nyttevekst. Våre Nyttevekster 1992:nr 2:35-47