The History of Felt

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The History of Felt

• The Birth of an Art Form

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Felt

• The word felt is a Latin derivative and it
  originally meant to beat.

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Feltingperhaps one of the oldest textiles
forms, predating weaving

• Felt is a thick non-woven fabric
• It is made from sheeps wool or animal fur which
  is subjected to
• Heat
• Moisture
• Pressure or Agitation

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Felt is

• Dense but flexible
• Warm in cold weather
• Cool in hot weather
• Water resistant
• Easily cut into a specific shape or in any
  direction without unraveling

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Origins of Felt Making

• Felt is thought to have originated in Asia.
• Earliest prehistoric findings date from the
  Neolithic period 6500-6300 BCE
• Cherchen infant mummy dates to 3000 BCE.
• Wrapped in purplish red wool, the infant wears a
  bonnet of bright-blue felt with red wool
  trimming.
• Frozen tombs and rich burial mounds such as those
  at Pazyryk, in the Alti mountains of the USSR
  provide the richest felted treasures known to
  exist.

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Origins of Felt MakingGreeks and Romans also
knew of felt

• Greek and Roman Soldiers were equipped with
  felted
• Breast plates for protection from arrows
• Tunics
• Boots
• Socks

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Myths, Legends and Ancient Origins of Felt Making

• Chinese
• Arab
• European
• Biblical

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Legend

• According to legend, the Chinese accidentally
  invented felt by putting wool under a saddle for
  padding. The horses body heat, sweat and
  friction under the saddle caused the wool to
  become felt.

• Europeans believe that a saintly pilgrim put wool
  inside his sandals and inadvertently made felt
  in-soles through the same action of heat, sweat
  and friction while walking.
• For the Arabs it was a camel driver who did the
  same.

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Noahs Ark

• Even Noah is credited
• with the invention of felt.
• After constructing the ark he
• placed wool fibers on the floor
• for warmth and comfort.
• Animals, trampling the wool,
• created friction, their
• movement created heat and
• 40 days and 40 nights of rain
• supplied the necessary water.
• Soon he had created felt!

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Uses for Felt

• Insulation, linings, padding, filters
• Clothing
• Footwear boots, socks
• Head gear hats
• Whole garments coats, cloaks, vests
• Household items
• Coverings for portable homes (Gers, Yurts)
• Rugs
• Blankets

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Home CoveringsYurts, Gers

• Portable Housing for nomadic people of Turkey,
  Afghanistan and Turkistan
• More than 50 percent of present day Mongolians,
  including the nomadic herders, live in these
  simple dwellings.
• The nomads pack their gers
• and move 4-12 times a year
• as they follow their herds of
• horses, yaks, cattle, sheep,
• goats and camels to
• new pastures.
• These gers are hand made
• with local materials of sheep
• wool, horse and yak hair and
• local wood

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Felt Rugs

• Felt rugs are a great specialty of Mongolia,
  northwest China, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Kashmir
  Traditionally, they are considered to be the
  "carpets of the poor," and as such they are
  reserved for places of work, such as the kitchen,
  and are used for more practical purposes rather
  than decorative purposes.

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Rugs

• Lakai Uzbek Felt Rug
• Pieced and embroidered felt rug made by nomadic
  Lakai Uzbek women in Southern Uzbek in the 1920s
• Powerhouse Museum collection

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Clothing

• Embroidered felted hat worn by Kyrgyz men
• Powerhouse museum

• Felted boots, shoes and slippers

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• Hungarian Szur
• Traditional wear for special occasions
• Presented to a young man upon adulthood

• The
• Shepards
• Cape
• doubles as a portable tent
• His hat can be worn with the brim down for warmth
  or out for a visor

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Everything Old is New Again!

• Since the mid 70s felt making has enjoyed a
  renewed sense of identity
• It has regained popularity because of its
  traditional usefulness for clothing and household
  items And it has come into its own as a pure art
  form
• Traditional boundaries have been stretched
• Its usefulness pushed into the realm of aesthetics

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Infinite Fringe Scarves by Lori Flood
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Hats Traditional and Newby Lori Flood
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Vessels containers for the spirit
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Felted Vessels by Sharon Costello
Earth Images
Mother Earth
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Earth Images back view
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Furnishings by Nicole Chased Telaar
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Area Rugs by Nicole Chazaud Telaar
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Wall Art by Nicole Chased Telaar
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Painting with Felt by Pat Sparks
White Flower and the Old Red House
Oriental Poppies
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Dolls to amuse and comfort
By Gina Barr Eiger
by Birgitte Krag Hansen
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Dolls by Sharon Costello
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Masks by Faye Wilkinson

• Masks are powerful instruments of communication.
  They have been used since the dawn of Creation
  to tell a story, heal and transform. They can
  conceal and protect as well as reveal and
  enlighten.

Poseidoness
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As you can see felt is not only functional but is
exciting and contains a beauty all its own,
regardless of its purpose.