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Dutch Apron
18th c

Gieneke Arnolli the curator at the Fries Museum kindly gave the following information.  The apron is rare becuase it is made from a piece of 18th century Sidenseister, a linen and silk mix. It was woven by the Hernhutter community or Moravian Brethen in Zeist in The Netherlands. The apron would have been sold in one of their shops to a middle class Dutch city woman.

"Apart from the town of  Hindeloopen the other Friesian small towns

and countryside preferred the textiles made of linen and silk called Sidenseister.

These textiles without exception are made of white linen with pink/red

and sometimes with a green stripe. Sometimes made from of cotton rather than linen but are all called  Sidenseister. '' Siden ( silk ) seister ( Zeist )

The attached shows a womans jacket from the Fries museum made from Sidenseister.This fabric was also used for handkerchiefs.

The Hernhutter community was located in Bohemia in Herrnhutt  on the estate of Graaf van Zinzendorf. Around 1735 Protestent Hernhutters entered the Dutch Republic and set up a church in Zeist. Biblical teaching was provided with practical help. In 1746 a wealthy  Amsterdam merchant Cornelis Schellinger, bought land at Zeist where the Moravians established a community. The community are still living there today. A large community was founded in Pennsylvania.

Cataloguing

The slightly glazed red/pink and white check with feint pale green check, silk and linen having a central vertical join, gathered into the waistband at the sides, and kept flat in the centre, red silk ties, all hand stitched.

Waistband 25 in; 63 cm

Width at bottom 65 in; 1.65 m

Length 39 in; 1m

Condition

Excellent. It is as if it has not been used.

Comments

*  Gieneke Arnolli and Sytske Wille-Engelsma. Bontjes voor de Tropen ''(Check fabrics for the Tropics). Chapter 2. The bonten van het Fries Museum. ( the check fabrics from the Fries Museum )