11295 Coperti Abruzzesi

Very interesting as I love vintage and antique textiles. I did a bit of research through the Italian Google and found a limited amount of information but no pictures; however, this link tells us a bit more:
[url=http://www.fullarte.it/fullarte/?case=paesi&codice_paese=22252&codice_regione=ABR&codice_provincia=CH]Portale artigianato Italiano Fullart'è - - Artigianato[/url]

Barn Elms, I am not sure what you mean but this sounds similar to the Casa Pupo design (which I think is Spanish but Gala probably knows more)

My mother used to have a Casa Pupo rug which had a design one side with it’s perfect reverse on the other. It was a prized possession and was sadly mourned when it finally became too tatty and threadbare to keep.

Could you upload one of your pictures, to give us a better idea?

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I have done a bit of Googling and from what I can find Casa Pupo is now Casa Fina. Here is a picture of one of the bedcovers from e-bay, Is that what you are talking about or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Yes everyone can Google Richard, including Gala whom you seem to have taken on board.

Now that I can see the picture... there were a couple of bedspreads in the same style but different colours (mustard and blue) in a house we used to rent for holidays in Boveglio (LU) before we bought our mill. I liked them very much and I noticed that you could use them on both sides. I cannot remember any labels on them and they had a matching fringe. I thought that they were very typical, although a bit heavy to handle. The house was fairly old and there was a lot of vintage furniture as it belonged to the grandparents of the actual owner. The bedspreads were in a bedroom which we did not use but I liked the way they matched the vintage furniture. I guess that some years ago, these bedspreads were sold everywhere in Italy, which explains their presence in Tuscany, but possibly they have gone out of "fashion" now. I have not seen them for sale anywhere, at least around Lucca.

There were quite a few rugs and bedspreads in that same style "made in Spain" or Portugal around the 60's but these manufacturers have "disappeared" as they do not produce "fashionable" items. Now, everything is made in China, Morocco, etc and of very poor quality comparing with what I think we are talking about. Portugal still produces some interesting rugs but, as far as bedspreads the only ones that I have seen matching the description are the ones that caught my eye at Boveglio. There are a couple of stalls at the monthly "Antique and Vintage" Fair in Lucca (3rd Sunday of the month) that specialise in textiles so I will look around next time I am there. But it would certainly be easier to find these items in Abruzzo's fairs. You have to keep an eye for those things. After all, the bedspread that belonged to Marie-Antoinette's bed and is now proudly shown at Versailles was also found in a vintage shop... I think in America.
Nielo, the owner of "Casa Pupo", Casarus, was a Spaniard. As I said, I have seen similar patterns in both Spain and Portugal.

I wonder if the style and technique of weaving these bedspreads is Abruzzese in origin and Casa Pupo came up with some popular designs.
Bit like wall paper and William Morris designs?… Just a thought.

They look very much like a rug I bought in Greece many years ago, now still in use warming our bedroom floor in Italy!.
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The pattern and motifs remind me of the embroidery made in a region of Spain, mainly Lagartera and Talavera de la Reina in the province of Toledo. They say that this art was brought by the Moors and it was continued as a tradition. There are similar patterns in both weaving and embroidery used in Syria, Persia or the North of Africa.
I could not find anything better to illustrate my point and it is in Spanish, but you will be able to recognize some of the motifs:
[url=http://www.mitoledo.com/Artesania/Bordados.php]Toledo en la web. Mitoledo. Artesanía de Toledo. Bordados[/url]

I have been thinking all morning about this topic as the motifs and patterns also reminded me of Hungarian embroidery and weaving and this influence would have been important, particularly at the time of the Austro-Hungarian domination of Italy. I used to know a Hungarian family who had beautiful pieces of embroidery and weaving at home and they were very similar. Anyway, have a look at this:

[url=http://hungaria.org/ahm/index.php?projectid=4&menuid=187]AH Museum (AHM) - Hungarian Online Resources (Magyar Online Forrás)[/url]

I'm trying to imagine those bed covers, in a room with a jazzy patterned tiled floor, but my brain can’t cope.

There does seem to be a love for bold patterns round here. When we were house hunting we saw one that had a green and yellow patterned tiled floor, striped wall paper on one wall, another bright patterned tiled wall, a table with a lurid table cloth and a floral patterned sofa. After five minutes I had a head ache, how on earth anyone had lived there is beyond me!

I think to enjoy the bedspreads they need no competition, just nice plain floors and walls. But I suppose it is all a matter of individual tastes.

I agree with you, Nielo, they only need plain floors and walls which will enhance the heavy pattern, otherwise it is a bit too much. But the bedspreads are similar to the ones I saw at Boveglio. The more I look at them, the more they remind me of those Hungarian textiles..... I'll keep on looking for patterns. Definitely, the Spanish connection does not apply although there are some similar motifs.

P.S. Very nice, Richard. I just saw your last photo and the room looks great.

Further to my previous post, technically they have been using "jacquard" looms that could do "double weve" by interfacing two or more sets of warps with a similar number of filling yarns. Nowadays the technique would be much easier by computerised looms. The jacquard loom was invented in the 1800's.
Nevertheless, I do not know how old your bedcovers are, but look at the price some similar antique bedcovers are fetching on ebay:
[url=http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Double-Weave-COVERLET-c-1850-GREAT-COLORS_W0QQitemZ300251987162QQihZ020QQcategoryZ362QQcmdZViewItem]Antique Double Weave COVERLET c. 1850 ~GREAT COLORS! - eBay (item 300251987162 end time Jan-17-09 12:56:48 PST)[/url]

[url=http://spazioinwind.libero.it/latela/index.htm]HOME PAGE[/url]

Although in Macerata, so Le Marche not Abruzzo, there is a small Textile Musuem, perhaps they could point you in the right direction or even provide some answers?

Be quick and try to grab as many as you can. They are becoming real collector's items:
[url=http://www.antique-linens.com/23017.html]A Gorgeous Antique Italian White and Tangerine Orange Bedspread Woven with Fabulous Pattern, 88x98.5"[/url]

It would be interesting to establish the origins of these covers.

Are they copies of ones made in Spain? Italy has a tradition for manufactoring high quality fashions and textiles so possibly italian workers ( in areas that recieve eu money it is cheaper to have things manufactored ) were employed to make them in Abruzzo?

It is also likely that a quality woven wool cotton or silk bed spread would have been made locally and decorated with symbols/patterns that appear elsewhere in that region.These items must have been quite costly before machinery to mass produce them cheaply could be used .I'd imagine they are now all made in China

Well done for bringing them to our notice.Do you have time now to research our Roman Bitumen mines!!Only joking!

Yes, I agree with you, Richard. There are no clear links with Spain... perhaps some motifs are similar, but that's it. I think that the Middle East influence is stronger, but then most cultures are influenced by others up to a certain way. The Hungarian similarities are stronger, but again not clear. It would be a local Abruzzo creation. What is obvious is that Taranta Peligna specialised in that kind of weave. And certainly, they used the jacquard looms, double-sided weave, to produce them. These looms, although not computerised worked with cards that had an imprint of the pattern, a sort of ancestor of the computerised looms that do jacquard double-sided weawe which are nowadays produced in.... China of all places. Not only the weave but the looms as well. Possibly at a very cheap price and no guarantees at all regarding quality, etc.
Also, we are talking about bedspreads which were made well before the introduction of the euro. I would be curious to know how much is produced nowadays at Taranta Peligna. Possibly it would be an industry in decline. Unfortunately.

I am certain that they used wool and other materials, such as silk, to weave these bedspreads using the same looms. And they may have been selling them everywhere in Italy. If you have a look at the bedspreads for sale through the Antique shop in one of my posts, you can clearly see that it is not wool but a silk or similar material. Perhaps they had two versions, for summer and for winter... Worth investigating.
Also, as you say, the "the Middle Eastern" influence possibly came through Morocco or I would add Persia. Anyway, it was Arab because of the motifs and this is what, together with another comment about a Spanish link, threw me into investigating that possibility, which I have now discarded.
I think it is a most interesting thread as it is prompting us to look into everyday items, which are generally dismissed, but which many times give you most interesting clues about cultural aspects of a country. Not everything worth studying and appreciating is in a museum. Simple everyday objects contain valuable information.
It is a pity that the textile industry in Europe and particularly in Italy has suffered so much and has not been able to survive competition. Very near to our mill there is a building on the river banks which is highly neglected and practically falling apart. I asked the neighbours what it used to be and it was a silk weaving factory for many years employing mainly women and children from the Bagni di Lucca area because of their delicate hands which were suitable for this type of work. Apparently, silk worms were also an industry in the area. And they used to export to many European countries. All this has sadly disappeared.
I do hope you have not "disposed" of the bedspreads!!!! But I do agree, they are very heavy to handle. I wonder how they would look displayed as a tapestry if you prefer to use duvet on the bed.....

They used an instrument of torture: iron combs which were very similar to the carding combs, hence the appointment as patron saint of weavers. They also starved him, beat him and finally beheaded him. He is also, according to Catholic tradition, the saint who intercedes if someone has a throat problem or disease as he once performed a miracle with a child with something stuck in his throat.
Regarding the bedspreads, it is to be expected that the ones produced in Abruzzo will be exclusively made of wool because of the prevalence of the material. Next time I will go to Bagni di Lucca I will check whether they produced silk ones made in that now derelict factory, as there were looms there. I wonder if anyone would remember those things......

Beautiful bedspreads JC! Fortunately you kept them and they seem to be in excellent condition. One of them, from what I can see, is damask work with tassles. This is a different weaving technique. But the purple and gold one has been made with a jacquard loom although silk has been used. Basically, the same technique as with the wool ones.... providing it is double-sided .... but some of the designs in barn-elms photographs are most interesting and could be exclusive to the Abruzzo region. It would be interesting to check whether those motifs are repeated in other crafts such as ceramics or embroidery. Normally, craftsmen use to repeat regional designs as they are distinctive.
Anyway, I think that they all are beautiful and valuable examples of the Italian textile craftmanship. So take good care of them.

P.S. I forgot, about St Blaise.... here you have some information and interesting pictures: [url]http://www.catholic-forum.com/themes/st_blaise.html[/url]

Further to our discussions, I did some more research on the topic and I found that the wool bed covers are called "tarante" and they have been very famous since the XVI Century. Some say they have been in production since the XIII century; however, all this must have been hand made as the jacquard loom was not invented until the XIX Century. So it is a very old craft and typical from the region.
The feast of S. Biagio is from the 1st until the 3rd of February and it is very important for Taranta Peligna. It would be interesting to check what goes on locally.
There is a family by the name of "Merlino" making those covers in the area. A bit of old magic... perhaps....

Just a little bit about what goes on there Gala - 3 Febbraio: Festa di S. Biagio, con preparazione delle "panicelle", forme di pane raffiguranti le dita delle mani del Santo che, mangiate, proteggono i fedeli dalle malattie alla gola

The women wearing the "tarante" as shawls also wear skirts with similar motifs on them, which have been embroidered. This could confirm the idea of the originality in the designs, something important to consider. I guess that what they are wearing are regional costumes.
And yes, the coat of arms wears the tarantula, so it is a case of "armes parlantes" as they say in heraldry.
By the way, Sally, if the S. Biagio cakes are similar to the ones we have in Spain for San Blas (same saint, different language) they are really awful. Not worth eating. I don't think they would do much for your throat. So you have been warned.

[COLOR="red"]By the way, Sally, if the S. Biagio cakes are similar to the ones we have in Spain for San Blas (same saint, different language) they are really awful. Not worth eating. I don't think they would do much for your throat. So you have been warned.[/COLOR]

Are they then spicy Gala??? That makes sense given the Abruzzesi's passion for "hot ingredients"

I have spent a good few minutes looking for the ingredients but to no avail so far alas. Only this-

Le panicelle, a forma di mano benedicente con il timbro della Casa del Santo, preparate durante una lunga e complessa cerimonia organizzata dalla Confraternita di San Biagio, vengono distribuite ai fedeli il 3 febbraio.

and translated

The Little Loaves, in the shape of hands in the act of blessing, with the seal of the House of the Saint, which have been prepared in a long complex ceremony organised by the Confraternity of St Blasius, are distributed to the faithful on February 3rd.

This is quite a comprehensive article on the feast.San Biagio/St. Blaise

[url=http://www.abruzzoheritage.com/magazine/2002_01/0201_f.htm]Year III, No. 13, page 19: Saint Blaise[/url]

The dresses are most interesting and diverse and most have in common the embroidery motifs which we see in the "tarante". I was looking for "Merlino", the artisans who continue making the bedcovers and other woven products typical from the region. They are at Taranta Peligna on Via Tintoria and the mill opened in 1870. I found through my searches this link which is interesting:

[url=http://www.unich.it/GUTA/candelorasanbiagio.htm]CATA[/url]

Sally, as we are trying to concentrate on the bedcovers and woven products through this thread and you are very interested and may attend the S. Biagio festivities, why don't you start a special thread for this type of information so that it does not get mixed up with the rest. Perhaps some people may not be interested in the bedcovers or textiles but would like to see information about festivities. Otherwise, it all gets mixed up.

I have enjoyed reading this thread, I myself collect vintage french linen, so I can understand your interest. Sadly I think the book may have already been written.

[URL="http://www.amici-silone.net/lacopertaabruzzese.htm"]La Coperta Abruzzese[/URL]

Always room for another book though :winki: lol!!!

I was given one of these blankets 30 years ago as a gift by my in laws, I still have it my mother in law bought it from the lanaficio (now closed down)in Lanciano for 20 000lire= 10 euro its a double blanket and has been good value .

I was just doing some research on a different subject, the Convent of San Pasquale Baylon in Vallastra where they organise spiritual retreats and I found in the same page this link about the "coperte". Not much, but it all ads up:

[url=http://www.sangroaventino.it/sezioni/Patrimonio%20Culturale/pagine.asp?idn=2030]Home page di Sezione[/url]

This confirms that the tradition is very old and that the covers were originally handmade. It further confirms the origin of the designs.

[quote=Gala Placidia;114844]I was just doing some research on a different subject, the Convent of San Pasquale Baylon in Vallastra where they organise spiritual retreats and I found in the same page this link about the "coperte". Not much, but it all ads up:

[URL="http://www.sangroaventino.it/sezioni/Patrimonio%20Culturale/pagine.asp?idn=2030"]Home page di Sezione[/URL]

This confirms that the tradition is very old and that the covers were originally handmade. It further confirms the origin of the designs.[/quote]

What an interesting site Gala, thank you, and congratulations on your 3000, I have a way to go yet. :yes:

... and I am sure you will, lol!!!

If they are destined for the fire, why not just ask if you can have/buy them. If I was so passionate about something I would want them under my bed.

Preserve them yourself. Doh :winki:

I would say the designs represent a peacock and a lion rampant, both heraldic figures although the peacock is a bit unusual. If they have not destroyed too many cards you will probably find more with the same type of figures.
Even if the wool covers are the ones that really interest you, don't leave aside the damask ones as I am sure that there would be some interesting pieces there.
The idea of the museum is the right way to go although it requires time, patience and lots of money. Perhaps some grants may be available although I imagine that it would be a bureaucratic nightmare. Obviously, a lot of support and involvement will be needed from the factories and you can get some members into a steering committee together with some government people at local and state levels. You need a place to house the museum and it would be ideal to find an old, disused factory as it would give the right atmosphere to the collection. It would be ideal to have people teaching and showing how the weaving is done, right from the spinning of the filaments. Also, you would need a shop selling the coperte and other textiles to visitors as this would create some revenue to upkeep the museum. Well, you can look forward to some 20 years of hard, unpaid work down the road. But if you love the idea, go for it. It is a worthwhile one. I wish I could have the time and energy required to do something regarding the silk weavers in Bagni di Lucca.
Anyway, let us know about your progress as it is a very interesting project.

You may be right JC. It is those feathers on top of the head and the very long tail that have me puzzled.