Quill-Workshop at the German Leather Museum Offenbach

[lieve.watteeuw@pandora.be]

VDR Quill-Workshop 2016 at the German Leather Museum Offenbach
Manufacturing techniques and conservation of porcupine quill embroidery

ANNOUNCEMENT

The tree-day workshop with the speaker Nancy Fonicello gives an insight into the techniques of porcupine quill decorations of Native Americans. The workshop´s focus lies on the study of manufacturing details and the reworking of the techniques with the original materials as well as
considering the main conservation issues and questions. It will take place from 14th to 16th April 2016 at the German Leather Museum Offenbach.
- This workshop is an extended repetition of the VDR Quill Workshops 2014 in Berlin - Long before glass beads from Europe were exported to America, a large number of natural materials were used for the production of traditional commodities. Particularly in North America up to the Arctic
porcupine quills from the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) were processed among other things to elaborate ornaments. Different techniques can be found on clothing, bags, belts or shoes, such
as simple wrappings of flattened and dyed quills or embroidery on leather or birch bark. The focus of the workshop lies on the reworking of the basic quillwork embroidery techniques with dyed porcupine quills and brain tanned leather that many conservators are likely to encounter in working with Native American collections. To develop a deeper understanding of the typical decorations of Native American artifacts, the techniques of porcupine quill embroideries are reconstructed on the basis of original objects from the collection of the German Leather Museum Offenbach. Degradation symptoms and damage causes will be considered in more detail and approaches to conservation treatments will be discussed with the participants. Nancy Fonicello is a private practice objects conservator, specializing in Native American ethnographic material. With her widely known expertise in the traditional techniques of porcupine quillwork she
lectured seminars at the Anchorage Museum (Alaska, USA) in 2013 and at the Ethnological Museum Berlin (Germany) in 2014.
Date: 14th -16th April 2016
Venue: German Leather Museum in Offenbach (Germany)
Workshop language: English
Participation and Registration:
The number of participants is limited. For the realization of the workshop an early registration is urgently
needed (no later than January 11th 2016).
E-Mail registration: VDR_Quillworkshop2016@mail.de

Registration Fees:
370 € reduced fee for members of the German Association of Conservators-Restorers
(VDR members)
445 € regular fee (non-members)
150 € students / interns (VDR members)
225 € students / interns (non-members)