International Online Conference “Historical Clothing and Textiles in Northern and Eastern Europe,” February 20–21, 2025
Textiles and clothing hold a foundational place in human history, touching upon economics, technology, travel and transportation, employment, social roles, mythology, religion, environmental interactions, moral and behavioural norms, ecology and climate, and more. Textiles offer a lens through which we can view developments in trade, industry, cultural identity, and ecological impact over time. Here, "clothing" encompasses not only garments but also footwear and accessories, acknowledging the full breadth of material culture within the field.
This conference unites scholars and researchers from diverse disciplines who explore the textiles and clothing of Northern and Eastern Europe, covering a chronological span from the earliest known textiles to the middle of the 20th century. With a specific focus on the cultural, economic, and technological heritage of Northern and Eastern Europe, this event will highlight the regional distinctiveness of textile production, use, and symbolism across various historical periods. By fostering dialogue across disciplines, this conference aims to deepen our understanding of the role textiles have played across centuries in Northern and Eastern Europe, illuminating the complex cultural tapestry of the past through this essential facet of human history.
Those interested in joining the conference on Zoom, please register here: https://conferences.lu.lv/event/620/ by February 18, 2025. You will receive an email with a Zoom link on the day before the conference. It will also be possible to follow the live broadcast of the conference on the Facebook page of the Institute of Latvian History (LU Latvijas vēstures institūts).
This conference is organized in conjunction with the annual International Scientific conference of the University of Latvia, and we aspire to establish a tradition of regular international conferences on the textile histories of Northern and Eastern Europe and neighboring regions. We also intend to publish a digital collection of abstracts, which will be made accessible to promote continued scholarly engagement and to serve as a resource for future research.
The conference is organized by:
Ieva Pīgozne, University of Latvia
Anete Karlsone, University of Latvia
Riina Rammo, University of Tartu
Meghan Anne Korten, University of Iceland
Programme
Thursday, February 20, 2025, 10.00 AM EET
Chair: Ieva Pigozne | ||
10.00–10.05 | Ieva Pigozne University of Latvia | Opening of the conference |
10.05–10.30 | Jane Anne Malcolm-Davies Uppsala University | Crafting reconstructions: a methodological innovation in historical clothing and textile research |
10.30–10.55 | Maria Elena Bertoli School of Humanities, University of Glasgow | Textile economies in transition from plant fibres to wool in Bronze Age Northern Italy: new evidence from previously unpublished textiles |
10.55–11.20 | Alexandra Makin Manchester Metropolitan University | A project exploring the senses, connections and power of textiles in the Early Medieval North Atlantic (450-1100 CE) |
11.20–11.45 | Flórián Harangi Attila Türk Hungarian National Museum National Institute of Archaeology | Remains of a 13th century headgear from the archaeological site of Szentes-Kaján, Temetőhalom, grave 33 (Hungary) and the southeastern European connection of this find |
11.45-12.00 | Coffee break | |
Chair: Anete Karlsone | ||
12.00–12.25 | Valeria Di Clemente University of Catania | Status, clothing, political power and a kenning: the so-called dróttningar nautr |
12.25–12.50 | Meghan Korten University of Iceland | Cargos of connection: how wool textiles shaped Icelandic society through Medieval exchange |
12.50–13.15 | Mairéad Finnegan Maynooth University | Footwear in Late Medieval Ireland c. 1100 – c. 1550 |
13.15–13.40 | Dilshat Harman Georg-August-Universität Göttingen | Imagined Livonians: Dürer's costume watercolours of 1521 in context |
13.40–14.00 | Coffee break
| |
Chair: Meghan Korten | ||
14.00–14.25 | Krisztina Rábai University of Szeged | Different textiles in the court of a Jagiellonian prince: function, fashion, expectation |
14.25–14.50 | Cecilia Aneer Department of Art History, Uppsala University | Dress materials according to rank and position: The use of fur at the Swedish royal court, c. 1540-1580 |
14.50–15.15 | Natalya Skornyakova National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” | Reusing, recycling, disposal: the life cycle of clothing in the Early Modern period |
15.15–15.40 | Riina Rammo University of Tartu | The costume of the 17th-century Rabivere bog body revisited - a witness of changes in the textile tradition and fashion |
15.40–15.45 | Conclusion of Day 1 | |
Friday, February 21, 2025, 10.00 AM EET
Chair: Meghan Korten | ||
10.00–10.05 | Meghan Korten University of Iceland | Opening of Day 2 |
10.05–10.30 | Cecilia Candréus Uppsala University | Tools of the trade: Early Modern articulations of borders between professions |
10.30–10.55 | Éva Deák ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of History | Silk in 18th century Hungary and Transylvania |
10.55–11.20 | Ieva Pigozne University of Latvia | Clothing of the lower classes in Riga and rural Latvia: variations in similarity and difference within communities |
11.20–11.45 | Anete Karlsone University of Latvia | Commercially significant textile dyes for Latvian peasants in the mid-19th century |
11.45-12.00 | Coffee break | |
Chair: Riina Rammo | ||
12.00–12.25 | Una Valtere Art Academy of Latvia | Technological advancements in textile production and their historical impact: a case study of embroidered belts |
12.25–12.50 | Eleftheria Rigopoulou National & Kapodistrian University of Athens | Who is the worker? Silkworms or women workers? The contribution of women’s labor in Soufli in silk production. Representations in Silk Museum |
12.50–13.15 | Ásdís Jóelsdóttir University of Iceland | Icelandic Lopapeysa, a protected designation of origin |
13.15–13.40 | Aija Jansone Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia | Handicrafts in liturgical textiles |
13.40–14.00 | Coffee break | |
Chair: Ieva Pigozne | ||
14.00–14.25 | Dushica Brachikj Nade Genevska Brachikj Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology - Skopje | "Koshula": a foundational element of Macedonian folk costume |
14.25–14.50 | Daina Lāce Art Academy of Latvia, Institute of Art History | Embroidered shirts of Nīca parish materials and their analysis 1924–2024 |
14.50–15.15 | Isabella Cascianelli | Crafting sustainability: Umbria’s hand knitting tradition |
15.15–15.30 | Conclusion of the Conference | |
