ROM Textile Collection

Yesterday I had two hours at the ROM on my way to the symphony. Since it was the day before Hallowe'en I went back up to the textile area on the fourth floor as I guessed the other areas would be very busy with families (lots of activities at ROM this weekend for families). Also I'm very fond of the textile area.
Ancestral Proverb
The first set of displays was about different types of fabrics used for clothing. This is a katanga (sp?) from Kenya titled Ancestral Proverb. The words translate to "He who likes doesn't care" meaning don't see the bad in someone or something. Karen has brought us back some Salvation Army katanga's from her travels so it was fun to see some other ones on display. I like the umbrellas which are also to help protect you from seeing the bad.
Commemorative bead basket 1656
This beaded basket was to commemorate the birth of a child. There's a band around the bottom that reads WHERE VERTUE IS THE CAUSE OF LOVE NOTHING BUT DEATH CAN IT REMOVE. ANNE ROUNDELL ANNO 1656
Doll's corset
This doll's corset was made in Ireland in 1830 by Mary Haslam. It was part of her schooling.
Sweater jacket
This sweater jacket was knit some time between 1630 and 1650. It silk yarn with gold and silver metallic thread. They are still trying to decide if its hand made or made with an early knitting machine. There are no paintings from the time of anyone wearing one of these that have been found to date. So the theory is that it was for home wear only.
1820s Dress Etiquette
This sign was right next to this dress:
Day Dress
While it may have been a simple dress at the time, to my mind its very dressy. They also had a few quilts on display. Both of these were made in Ontario in the 1800's. The hexagons are approximately 0.5 inches across. The basket quilt was made by Mary Drummond.
Tiny Hexagons Basket Quilt
While the crystal addition to ROM is not my favorite thing, I discover a redeeming feature to it yesterday -- it has amazing acoustics. If you happen to be at the ROM around 5pm, head upstairs to the bridge area of the crystal. At 5:07, they play a 24-part choral piece. Next time I'm just going to sit and listen. It was wonderful. Yesterday I chased the sound to see where it came from. There's an area on the main floor called the spirit lodge where the music is played and it goes up in the bridge area.

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