The History of Felt
The Birth of an Art Form
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Felt
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The word “felt” is a Latin derivative
and it originally meant “to beat”.
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Felting:
perhaps one of the oldest textiles forms,
predating weaving
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Felt is a thick nonwoven fabric
It is made from sheep’s
wool or animal fur
which is subjected to:
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Heat
Moisture
Pressure or Agitation
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Felt is:
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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
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Felt is thought to have originated in
Asia.
Earliest prehistoric findings date
from the Neolithic period 65006300 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 Making
Greeks and Romans also knew of felt
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Greek and Roman Soldiers were equipped with
felted:
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Breast plates for protection from arrows
Tunics
Boots
Socks
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Myths, Legends and Ancient Origins
of Felt Making
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Chinese
Arab
European
Biblical
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Legend
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According to legend, the
Chinese accidentally
invented felt by putting
wool under a saddle for
padding. The horse’s
body heat, sweat and
friction under the saddle
caused the wool to
become felt.
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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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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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Noah’s Ark
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Uses for Felt
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Insulation, linings, padding, filters
Clothing
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Footwear; boots, socks
Head gear; hats
Whole garments; coats, cloaks, vests
Household items
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Coverings for portable homes (Gers, Yurts)
Rugs
Blankets
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Home Coverings
Yurts, Gers
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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
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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 1920’s
 Powerhouse
Museum collection
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Clothing
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Embroidered felted hat
worn by Kyrgyz men
Powerhouse museum
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Felted boots, shoes and
slippers
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Hungarian
Szur
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The
Shepard’s
Cape
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Traditional wear for
special occasions
Presented to a
young man upon
adulthood
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!
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Since the mid 70’s 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
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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 New
by 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
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by Birgitte Krag Hansen
By Gina Barr Eiger
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Dolls by Sharon Costello
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Masks
by Faye Wilkinson
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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.
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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.
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