27 February 2023
Welcome to a course in Sami traditional crafts the weekend of March 17-19, as well as the lecture “Tore Hund’s leather collar / fur” Saturday 18 March!
Now you can learn how to weave Sami ribbons and belts, which are common accessories for the “kofta” from South Troms and Northern Nordland.
Museum Nord/Melbo Manor and Nordland Academy invite you to a course at Melbu School from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 March. On the course, which is for both advanced and beginners, the participants are taught by duodje supervisor Tone Elvebakk. The registration deadline for the course is 8 March.
Within traditional Sami duodji, weaving on njiskun/grind tissue is common. Woven komagbands, belts and hat bands are common accessories for the kofta from South Troms and Northern Nordland. There are two types of bands used; bands where the warp threads make patterns, and bands with a picking pattern, where the former is the easiest to learn. In this course, participants learn picking patterns. The bands are woven both from wool and cotton yarn, and sometimes both in the same weave. Pattern, color scheme and width will be identity markers for the bands.
Avvi/woven belts with picking patterns were widely used in the past. Both women and men used such belts, and the pattern is the same for both. There is a wider pattern on belts than on komagband, but the same yarn quality can be used.
Vuoddagat/komagband is between 1.5 and 1.8 meters long, and you need two bands, one for each foot. The pattern is narrower and the number of threads is less than that of belts, but the length there is a big difference. There are different patterns to women and men.
Gahpirbaddi/lueband is used for devttakgahpir/women’s hat, and is woven in thin yarn. The pattern width is similar to that of the belts, but the weave itself becomes much narrower than the belts due to the thin yarn. It also takes time to weave hat bands, even if it is only about 70 cm long.
“Hat bands are very beautiful bands and a delight to weave – if you like fiddling work,” says Tone Elvebakk.
Tone Elvebakk was born and raised in the Sami village of Duorga/Snubba in Evenes municipality, and is employed as a duodje consultant at Duodjeinstituhtta Nordland, with the whole of Nordland as a catchment area. She also directed last year’s course, where participants wove comag tapes on grind weave.
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve been passionate about creating with my hands. Over time, I have focused more and more on Sami duodji,” she says.
Tone Elvebakk will also lecture about Tore Hund’s leather collar/trap Saturday 18. March at 14.00. The lecture will be at Melbu School.
Várdobáiki Sami Center has recreated Tore Hund’s čehporis (leather collar/fur). The project has focused on Sami presence, community, faith and interaction in the Viking Age.
Welcome!
