Sunday, September 22, 2019

Malaysia 2013 - The Baba & Nyonya Heritage



Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 29 November 2013
Stamp Value: 60 sen (setenant), 80 sen (setenant)
Miniature Sheet Value: RM5.00
Stamp Size: 30mm x 48mm
Perforation: 14
Miniature Sheet Size: 85mm x 100mm
Stamp Size In Miniature Sheet: 50mm x 60mm
Sheet Content: 20 Stamps
Paper: Yellow Green Phosphor 102gsm
Printing Process: Litography
Printer: Cartor Security Printing
Stamp Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd

The Baba & Nyonya Heritage
The Babas & Nyonyas referred to the descendants of late 15th to 19th century Chinese immigrants to the Malay archipelago. Baba is the address for the men, and Nyonya for the women.

The Babas & Nyonyas are partially assimilated into the Malay culture, especially in food, dress and spoken language, while retaining some of the Chinese traditions and culture such as religion, name, folk medicine and festivals.

60sen - Nyonyaware
Nyonyaware is characterized by its decorative motives and the most vivid and colourful familiar rose enamels. The stamp features a covered jar called ‘kamcheng’ – variously used as a container for water, pickles and other types of food. Also featured are ceramic spoons, plate and cups with features of phoenix and peonies – symbols of prosperity and good fortune.

60sen - Nyonya Beaded Slippers
The beaded slippers is one of the most popular Nyonya object still found today. The technique of making such footwear is also one of the few crafts leftover from the golden age of the Baba & Nyonya. The beaded slippers were either opened face or covered. The popular motives used for the pattern were flowers, birds, butterflies and fruits.

80sen - Malacca Peranakan Townhouse
The typical Baba & Nyonya townhouse features neo-classical pediments, pillars and stucco decorations over windows, combined with the local tradition of timber craftsmanship. House fronts are usually heavily decorated with brightly colored hand-painted tiles and Chinese characters painted in gold on large black backgrounds. The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca showchases on of the most well-preserved 19th century Baba & Nyonya residence.

80sen - Baba & Nyonya Wedding Attire
The wedding costume is colourful and elaborate. The headdress worn by the bride is made out of more than a hundred gold and silver hair pins that are put into the hair to form a crown. On her chest and wrists she wears numerous jewelry and accessories. The costumes are made from damask silk and either couched with gold thread or covered with coloured thread embroidery. The groom’s jacket and hat are that of the Manchu gentry of old China. he has a traditional Chinese fan on his hand and boots as footwear.

MS RM5 - Nyonya Kebaya Embroidery
The Nyonya kebaya first appeared only in the early 20th century. The early versions features rather simple embroidery work, but later, especially from the 1960s onwards, a more exquisite and intricate embroidery began to emerge. While the early kebayas are hand sewn, the Nyonya kebaya today is embroidered using the sewing machine with flower motives being the favourite theme. The miniature sheet feature a Nyonya kebaya, which won the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicraft 2012. The stamp within the miniature sheet feature a composition of Malaysian fruit, with holes cut on the paper resembling the embroidery.

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 01 December 2014
Denomination: RM 50
Stamp Size: 25 mm x 35 mm x 0.1 mm
Weight: 1.46 +/-0.05g
Metal: Copper Plated with 22 K Gold
Technique: Stamping
Special Feature: Fine and Elegant Stamping
Printing: Cartor Security Printing
Designer: Pos Malaysia Berhad
Acknowledgements: Muzium Negara, Persatuan Baba & Nyonya Kuala Lumpur, Cedric Tan, Lim Swee Kim, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

 

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 12 February 2015
Denomination: RM 35
Miniature Sheet Size: 85 mm x 100 mm
Stamp Size: 50 mm x 60 mm
Technique: Lithography & Embroidery
Paper: Yellow Green Phosphor 103gsm
Printing: Cartor Security Printing
Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd
Acknowledgements: Persatuan Baba & Nyonya Kuala Lumpur, Cedric Tan, Lim Swee Kim

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

South Korea 2019 - The Style of Hanbok


Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 09 September 2019
Quantity: 672,000
Denomination: KRW 380
Printing Process: Offset 4 Colors
Size of Stamp: 30 mm x 40 mm
Image Area: 38.5 mm x 40 mm
Perforation: 13 1/4 x 13
Sheet Composition: 4 x 4 (165 mm x 185 mm)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: Shin Jaeyong
Printer: Southern Colour Print for POSA
Stamp: 
380 Korean Won - The 1500s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1600s - 1700s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1800s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1900s Hanbok

The Style of Hanbok

Korea Post is issuing commemorative postage stamps to promote the exquisite beauty of the hanbok which the world has great admiration for and also to nurture Korea's clothing culture.

While the hanbok has gone through a number of changes in keeping with the times, it is the only traditional attire in the world that has retained its fundamental structure. The men's hanbok isi comprised of Jeogori, Baji, Po, and Gwanmo for the head. The most basic components of the women's hanbook are Jeogori and Chima while the full attire can be completed with the addition of the beoseon, a tie belt, and shoes.

Referring to the traditional clothing artifacts from the 16th to 20th centuries, we have created commemorative stamps that feature the transformations of the hanbok over time. As the hanbok signified the wearer's social status in the 16th century, it was designed to impress, boasting both a great length and width, regardless of the wearer's physique. Thus, after the Japanese invasion, the 17th century saw distinctively practical changes to the design of the hanbok.. Jeogori was narrowed and shortened so that it hovered above the waist of the Chima, which made it possible to produce more clothes with a lesser amount of material. In the later period of Joseon in the 19th century, through the reign of Yeongjo and Jeongjo, the design of the hanbok became more diversified while the basic structure consisted of a close-fitting Jeogori and a wide bottom with the shape of a bell. A Jang-ot, an outerwear worn by upper class women, acquired another use as the women began to wear it as a veil to cover their faces. On the other hand, in the 20th century, the types of Jeogori were simplified, and the length of Jeogori in the history of the hanbok. In fact, it was shortened to such an extent that there appeared an article in the Jeguk Sinmun that said "(women's) Jeogori should be lengthened so as not to reveal any flesh."

As Korea's traditional attire, the hanbok has gone through a series of transformations that reflects the prevalent living culture and circumstances as well as aesthetics of the time while still maintaining its graceful beauty and unique value. We hope that the issuance of these commemorative stamps will provide an opportunity to appreciate the importance and meaning of the hanbok.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Pakistan 1993 - Dresses of Pakistan


Date of Issue: 10 March 1993


The stamp set features traditional costumes from:

PAKISTAN WOMEN DRESSES - PUNJAB PROVINCE
PAKISTAN WOMEN DRESSES - SINDH
PAKISTAN WOMEN DRESSES - BALUCHISTAN PROVINCE
PAKISTAN WOMEN DRESSES - NWF PROVINCE

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Tunisia 2019 - EUROMED, Costumes in the Mediterranean


 



Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 05 September 2019
Size: 41 x 28 mm
Number Issued: 500,000 each stamps
Printing Process: Offset
Drawing: Leila Allagui

Mediterranean Costumes : 
0.75 Dinar - Traditional Costume For Women From The South of Tunisia, The City of Douz
1.00 Dinar - Traditional Costume For Men, The City of Kairouan

Mediterranean Costumes
As apart of its contribution to make known the distinguished heritage of costumes and actively contribute to the activities of the Postal Union for the Mediterranean and considering its significant role in the development of cooperation and partnership with the Postal euro-Mediterranean Institutions, the Tunisian Post issues Septermber 05, 2019, two postage under the theme Mediterranean Costumes.

The first postage stamp represents a special women's costume for the women of southern Tunisia, in which the Amazing style was fused with the Arab style, giving this costume an esthetic and remarkable heritage richness.

The second postage stamp depicts a traditional Kairouan-style clothing for men, consisting of a Jebba in creamy wool and a woolly Bornos in brown, known in Tunisia with a kabbouss and a turban above the head called Kachta.

Traditional Costume for Women from The South of Tunisa, The City of Douz:
Millia or Hrem or Hauli is a cloth whose color and decoration vary by the regions.  It is the traditional dress of the South Tunisian women who are adorned in its decoration and its tightness is controlled by two attractive buckles and a waistband.

Douz women's uniform is characterized by the striped blue-gray color o the side, placed by the woman on the shoulders and then pulled from the sides at the chest level by two silver clips called Alkhalal then attached at the waist with a cotton or woolen belt and this quilt covers the woman's body from shoulder to wrist.  The woman wears under the Millia a transparent white shirt with wide sleeves fabric lace.

The woman puts on her head a pink scraft or other color according to her taste and pulls it on top of the head at the level of the forehead with an Agar hanging from it a silver clip consisting of five silver necklaces.

The women's clothing of this region is characterized by simple engravings and silver decorations, which is necessitated by the daily life of the women of the South.  Most of them are dressed in the garment of gold in official occasions.

Traditional Costume for Men from The City of Kairouan:
The costume is made up of a Jebba and a Bornos with a Kabbous and a turban widely used in the city of Kairouan.  It is also present in Tunis and many other Tunisian regions.

Jebba is a costume worn throughout Tunisia.  It is woven in wool or islk, sewn from the front and leaves an opening on the side of the chest.  It is adorned with a so-called Harj that is made of natural ar artificial silk.  Its traditional colors are green, blue, gray and creamy.  Also, the man wears on the Jebba a Bornos in wool or any other thick fabric,  the favourite dress of city dwellers, the Bornos can be in different colors going from white with a creamy yellow to a dark color, this tends to a large part of population.

The headscraft is made up of a red pinch and a turban.  Tunisians have historically paid special attention to the Chachia with the Kubita and to the manufacture of Kabbous or before called Taguia.  They excelled in its industry and they dedicated its especially a market.

It should be noted that the Tunisian country has a legacy of fashion that distinguishes it from its neighboring countries of the Maghreb and Mediterranean countries, although some of them are similar in designations and forms.  It is a rich blend of colors, shapes, variety of fabrics, embroidery and embelishment.  These costumes vary according to cities, climate, geography, customs, and traditions.  Some of them date back to the Punic, Amazigh, Carthaginian, Turkish, Andalusian, and Arab-Muslim periods, reflecting the diversity, originality and tradition of the civilizations that have succeeded our country.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Hungary 2018 - History of Clothing #2



Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 03 April 2018
Face value: HUF 840 (4 x HUF 210)
On the date of issue, HUF 210 pays the postage of a Domestic priority letter up to 50 g.
Printing Technique: n4-colour offset
Number of copies: 60,000 Miniature Sheets
Perforated size of stamps: 30 × 50 mm
External Imperforated Size of Miniature Sheet:  80 mm × 140 mm
Paper Type: Gummed Postage Stamp Paper
Printed by: Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Photographs by: Attila Mudrák,MTI Fotó/Csaba Jászai,Gellért Áment, Cultiris/AKG
Designed by: István Weisenburger
Source: Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

HISTORY OF CLOTHING II

Magyar Posta is continuing the stamp series History of Clothing, which began in 2016, by presenting two 17th-century wedding outfits that are kept in the Esterházy treasury. Sixty thousand copies of the miniature sheet designed by the graphic artist István Weisenburger were produced by the banknote printing company Pénzjegynyomda. The new issue will go on sale from 3 April 2018 and from that date will be available at first day post offices and Filaposta in Hungary but may also be ordered from Magyar Posta.

Every age has had eye-catching and popular fashions that are nevertheless short-lived. What they all have in common is the endless ingenuity that inspires people to define themselves through their clothes. On the second miniature sheet of the stamp series, selected historic garments of the Hungarian nobility, who set fashions for many long centuries, are shown.

The first stamp shows a dolman, the undercoat of Hungarian male clothing, which could be worn over a shirt without a pelisse. The sumptuous baroque suit was made of red Italian satin in Hungary around 1680 and is adorned with pairs of fasteners each formed of two half hearts held in white hands with gold-winged white doves perched on the hearts and hands. It was once thought that the dolman was Palatine Miklós Esterházy’s nuptial suit but more recent research suggests that Palatine Pál Esterházy wore the outfit at his second wedding, when he married Éva Thököly in 1682.

The second stamp shows a woman’s wedding outfit comprised of a skirt and bodice, which according to the 19th-century tradition were part of the wardrobe of Pál Esterházy’s first wife Orsolya Esterházy. Later evidence indicates that these items were associated with Éva Thököly, but it is also possible that they were the bridal wear of both women. The matching skirt and bodice were made and embroidered in Hungary. The once dark blue Italian velvet has discoloured and turned green, yet the set remains an exceptional example of old Hungarian attire. All the extant garments housed in the Esterházy treasury originate from the 16th and 17th centuries. This is the only known collection of related clothing of this nature in Central and Eastern Europe, comprising 21 garments, which has been in the safekeeping of the Museum of Applied Arts since 1919.

In the background of the stamps, a 19th-century depiction of the Esterházy Palace in Kismarton (today Eisenstadt, Austria) and the Leopoldina temple in the grounds of the palace can be seen.

Source: Emese Pásztor (ed.): Textiles of the Esterházy Treasury in the Collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, Museum of Applied Art, Budapest, 2010; András Szilágyi: Esterházy Treasures. Five Centuries of Artworks from the Ducal Collection. Museum of Applied Art, Budapest, 2006.

Hungary 2016 - History of Clothing #1



Technical Details:
Date of issue: 8 November 2016
Face value: HUF 250 (Supplementary Denomination)
Printing Method: Offset
Number of Copies: 80.000 pcs.
Perforated Size of Stamp: 30 x 50 mm
External Size of Miniature: 80 x 140 mm
Paper Type: Gummed Stamp Paper
Produced by: Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Designed by: István Weisenburger
Source: CULTiRiS / INTERFOTO / Sammlung Rauch • Hungarian National Museum


HISTORY OF CLOTHING I.

With the aim of presenting garments of various epochs, the Magyar Posta is launching a new special series of miniature sheet of postage stamps entitled The History of Garments. The first miniature sheets of stamps will present King Louis II and Queen Mary's wedding garments from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum. 80,000 copies of the novelty have been printed by Pénzjegynyomda Zrt. based on the designs made by graphic artist István Weisenburger. The stamp is available at first-day post offices and Filaposta from 8 November, but can also be ordered from Magyar Posta.

King Louis and Queen Mary's wedding garments can be viewed as part of the National Museum's permanent exhibition. It was in 1928 that the museum acquired the two garments from the Mariazell pilgrimage church in connection with which the Mariazell tradition held that those were the wedding garments of Louis the Great and his wife Elizabeth. However, in 1929, based on the fabric of clothes and the pattern, József Höllrigl, a scientific associate of the museum, found that those clothes were in fact the garments of Hungarian King Louis II and his wife.

The queen's garments followed the German Renaissance fashion typical of the first half of the 16th century: it was tailored from a green rosette-pattern Italian damask, was decorated with gold brocade and embroidered with gold and silver thread. The waistline was lifted and the upper part was made narrow and wide open. The skirt with a pleated waist expands towards the bottom into a barge skirt. The ends of the narrow sleeves are decorated with funnel-shaped cuffs covering also the hands. In its appearance, the royal mantle reflects the contemporary Hungarian tastes. An interesting fact related to the garment is that its front part is shorter and the back part is longer, which adds to the majestic appearance of the young king both when seated on a horse and when kneeling before the altar during the ceremony. The overcoat was made from silk brocade woven on both sides. It was a special technical accomplishment that the outside was patterned with gold, while the inside with silver. The shirt was made of fine woven fabrics of flax.

Sources: mnm.hu; Katalin F. Dózsa: Queen Mary's wedding dress in the light of recent research; Mária V. Ember: Louis King II of Hungary and his wife's clothes; tudasbazis.sulinet.hu/

Russia 2019 - Seventh Issue of Standard Stamps "Eagles" (Definitives)

not real pictures

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 07 August 2019
Paper: Self adhesive
Colors: Multicolor
Perforation: 11½
Format: 20.0 x 27.5
Circulation: mass
Artist: Nikonov V
Design Artist (design): Moskovets A 
Printing Method:
  Offset + Protective Complex + Figured Carving (No. 2509–2519);
  Offset + Protective Complex + Figured Carving + Bronze Paste (No. 2520)

The Federal Communications Agency, Marka JSC and Goznak JSC prepared a new, Seventh issue of the Orly standard postage stamps of the Russian Federation. It will consist of 12 self-adhesive stamps with face values ​​from 50 kopecks to 100 rubles.

The postal miniatures depict the emblem of organizations of the federal postal service of the Russian Federation in an ornamental design.

Denominations of stamps: 50 kopecks, 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 2 rubles 50 kopecks, 3 rubles, 4 rubles, 5 rubles, 6 rubles, 10 rubles, 25 rubles, 50 rubles, 100 rubles.

The seventh issue of standard Russian stamps provides an unprecedented set of measures to protect against forgery of state signs of postage. In addition to microtext, unique figured die-cutting and the use of special inks, for the first time, postage stamps are made on self-adhesive paper with protective fibers and special anti-gluing notches. The protective complex of the new standard is not inferior in its characteristics to the measures used in the manufacture of banknotes.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Finland 2019 - Art Award, Fashion



Date of Issue: 11 September 2019

Posti Ltd has given the stamp art promotion award of 2019 to Mert Otsamo, a fashion designer who has designed clothes and jewelry for various celebrities for events such as galas, stages and the annual Independence Day Reception. AD Paula Salviander is responsible for the graphic design of the Posti art award 2019 stamps. The stamps will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet containing 2 different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.

Posti’s art award given to fashion designer Mert Otsamo – Stamps featuring Otsamo’s statuesque evening gowns to be issued in September

Posti Ltd has given the stamp art promotion award of 2019 to Mert Otsamo, a fashion designer who has gained fame for the evening gowns he has designed for occasions such as the annual Independence Day Reception at the Presidential Palace. The award consists of a EUR 10,000 cash prize and a stamp publication of the artist’s work. Stamps featuring Otsamo’s statuesque evening gowns will be issued in September.

As a fashion designer, Mert Otsamo has become known for his original style and statuesque evening gowns. Otsamo has been interested in shapes all his life. “What interests me in design is the diversity that exists both in clothing and in jewelry. As a designer, I think it is important to be innovative and experiment with different materials and techniques. Through my work, I want to illustrate the changes taking place in our culture.”

Mert Otsamo was surprised to receive the art award. “I am very excited and grateful for the award. Stamps show the spirit of the time they were issued, and I am very happy that I can become a part of this distinguished tradition through my works. I can hardly wait for the stamps to be issued in September.”

The art award finds new designers for stamps

With the art award, Posti wants to raise the status of stamps and increase people’s appreciation for them. “The evening gowns designed by Mert Otsamo represent unique Finnish design and are visually interesting. We use the award to find new and surprising people to design stamps. Mert Otsamo is a young and talented artist who works skillfully in various fields of design,” says Design Manager Tommi Kantola, Chairman of Posti’s Art Committee.

This is the third time Posti’s art award is being handed out. In 2017, the art award was given to sculptor Jasmin Anoschkin, and in 2018, it was given to graffiti artist EGS.

Mert Otsamo, 28, is a fashion designer who dramatically draws attention to the contrasts of the human figure in his designs. He has designed clothes and jewelry for various celebrities, for example Finnish musicians. His designs have been worn by guests at galas and the annual Independence Day Reception over several years. Otsamo rose to fame through the 2009 Muodin huipulle (Finnish version of Project Runway) TV show, aired on MTV3. Otsamo reached the top 3 in the competition. In fall 2018, Otsamo and jeweler A. Tillander released a collaboration in the form of a ten-piece jewelry collection called My Childhood Dreams.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Jordan 2018 - The 33rd Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts


Jerash Festival will be held during the period from July, 19 to July, 28 2018 at the Ancient city of Jerash (South, North, Main) theaters and from July, 29 to August, 3 2018 at Amman city.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Faroe Islands 2019 - Chasubles (I)


Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 23 September 2019
Value: 11,00 and 19,00 DKK
Stamp size: 40,00 mm x 30,00 mm
Design: Karin Brattaberg and unknown artist
Printing Method: Offset
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, France
Postal Use: Small letters inland and to other countries 0-50 gr

Chasubles - Set of mint 
Posta has decided to issue three stamp series, extending over the next three years, dedicated to church textiles used in the Church of the Faroe Islands.

Faroese Church Textiles on Stamps
Posta has decided to issue three stamp series, extending over the next three years, dedicated to church textiles used in the Church of the Faroe Islands. These issues will be covering the liturgical colours as well as presenting the craftmanship of the textiles while observing a fairly even geographical distribution of churches in the Faroes.

The first two stamps will be issued on September 23, 2019, featuring respectively a red chasuble from the church in Sandvík in Suðuroy (consecrated in 1908) and a green chasuble from the church of Funning in Eysturoy (consecrated in 1847).

The red chasuble is made of velvet, decorated with vestment trims and a cross design on the back.

The green chasuble is made of Norwegian wool and cotton. It is hand-woven and inspired by the hymn ”Eg skar mítt navn í grein ta hvítu” (I inscribed my name on the white branch) by Jóannes Patursson in 1901. The chasuble is a gift from the family of Knút Højsted. It was presented to the church in 1990. Karin Brattaberg has designed and produced the chasuble and the associated stole.

Chasubles
After the Reformation, the Lutheran church continued using chasubles, which originally were an old Catholic custom. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the form and styles of the chasubles were greatly debated. There were substantial differences in designs and sizes, and the same is true today. When a church receives a new chasuble, a decision must be taken on whether it is intended to fit more than one of its ordained ministers or only the currently serving minister.

The chasubles are used for the Eucharist and if baptism is to be performed on the same day, many ministers also wear the chasuble during the baptism. Otherwise, the use of the chasuble differs somewhat, but in churches using chasubles in the four liturgical colours, many ministers wear the chasuble during the first part of the service before the sermon, and take it off when they enter the pulpit. Other ministers keep the chasuble on throughout the service.

The Colours of the Liturgic Year
Chasubles and stoles adhere to the colours associated with the holy days of the Church Year, the so-called liturgical colours. However, several churches do not have ecclesiastical vestments in all these colours.

The liturgical colours are white, red, violet, green and black. These are the specific hues used for vestments within the context of Christian liturgy and associated with the ecclesiastical festivals and holy days. The colours signify the following conditions:
  • The white colour signifies purity, joy, holiness and innocence. It is the church's celebratory colour. The white colour is used on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Sunday between Christmas and the New Year, New Year's Day, Sunday after the New Year, the Epiphany, the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany, the Annunciation, Maundy Thursday, Easter Day and the second in Easter, the 1st-6th Sundays after Easter, the Ascension of Christ, Trinity Sunday, All Saint’s Day and the 27th Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
  • The red colour signifies fire, blood and love and is the colour of the Holy Ghost. The red colour is used on the second day of Christmas, the Day of Pentecost and the second Day of Pentecost.
  • The violet colour signifies repentance and conversion, thoughtfulness and fasting. It is used during the 1st- 4th Sunday in Advent, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, during Lent, on Shrovetide Sunday, during 1st-3rd Sunday in Lent and Mid-Lent as well as on Palm Sunday and General Prayer Day.
  • The green colour signifies growth and vitality, maturity and hope. The green colour is used for the most of the liturgical year, during Epiphany, 1st-5th Sunday after Epiphany, Trinity Sunday and 1st-26th Sunday after Trinity.
  • The black colour signifies grief and death and is only used on Good Friday. 
Since 1982, Paulina M. K. Eliasen has been registering all liturgical vestments and textiles used in the Faroese churches, prayer houses and schools used for church attendance. Looking at the registration, we can readily see that well-nigh all churches in the Faroes, just as churches in Denmark, have used the red chasuble of velvet with a golden cross on the back and with one or two vestment trims around the edges. The oldest chasubles in these churches date back to the 1890s and from approx. 1900 and beyond. Some are still in use and in some churches the age of these vestments is unknown. The Danish Parament Trade, founded in 1895, has made chasubles for the Faroese churches.

These records do not indicate any changes until in the latter half of the 20th century. Christian’s Church in Klaksvík, which was consecrated in 1963, got a green chasuble of brocade fabric in the 1970s, made by the Danish Parament Trade. The West Church in Tórshavn, which was consecrated in 1975, received chasubles in all the liturgical colours of the Church Year. The green and the red chasubles are made in Denmark, and the white and violet in England.

In recent years, many chasubles have been designed and made in the Faroe Islands. They vary greatly in terms of design, fabric and sewing. However, many chasubles are still bought from abroad, especially from Belgium and Denmark. Judging by the material it appears that, in general, church textiles are undergoing changes, both in terms of colours and design. Many churches today have more than one chasuble, while most churches have several altar cloths. Several churches also have chasubles in all the liturgical colours for use during the Church Year. However, this varies greatly from one church to the next. Some churches have not received new church textiles during this period, while others have received several new textiles. One church has for instance got three new altar cloths. Some churches had only one altar cloth and still have only this one altar cloth. There are many different artistic viewpoints on how to prioritize church textiles – whether they should be purchased from abroad or from artists in the Faroe Islands. Vestments and chasubles that are mostly bought from abroad, while Faroese women have in most cases been making the altar cloths, and the same is true of the carpets, which in many cases are woven in the Faroe Islands.

Source: "Kirkjuklæði" (Church Vestments), a book by Paulina M. K. Eliasen, is expected to be published later this year.