Jan Koula

“ If the songs of a people may be considered as, specimens of their music and poetry, the capacity for ornamental needle-work such as embroidery, and the adornment of dwellings and costumes may be taken as measures and proofs of their artistic capacity, appearing in the forms and colours of those ornaments. ”

“ The country population has, not only with us, but in every other land, developed such forms as correspond with its feelings, its necessities, and technical skill, and founded them only upon tradition and nature, very seldom adopting any of the external forms of similar styles. ”

“ The costumes and manufactures of the people are of no small value towards the history of national culture, and in helping us to a knowledge of the mind and character of the nation, though many now consider this study trifling. ”

“ But this might be said with equal right of the study of dress, manners, dwellings and habits amongst the nobility and townspeople of olden times, which are carefully traced, and were only trifling for this reason, that neither one nor the other show any particular characteristic in our country, because life amongst those circles moved along in the beaten path of their time, which at every period was more or less the same in the whole of middle Europe. ”

“ There are thousands of articles here worked by the skilfal hands of simple conntrywomen from the lands of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovenia, who never had any teacher except nature, and the familiar surroundings, which supplied them with motives, and the inborn susceptibility and feeling, that guided their dexterous fingers in forming the whole. ”

“ The embroideries of the Čechoslovenic peasantry are so varied in shape and so manifold in conception, colour and mode of working, that we may freely assert they surpass in this respect the popular needlework of all European nations. ”

“ Formerly no attention was bestowed upon the rustic population; every contemporary considered their manners and customs so well known that it never occurred to any one to write upon the subject, and se we have nothing to help us to some knowledge of them except popular ballads and tales, wooden buildings, and some of their home-industry. ”

“ These popular manufactures, compared with the system of more widely spread styles which have, so to speak, grown out of one another, and have been developed by mutual progress, are like independent islands, formed upon the so called natural style. ”

“ The peculiar character and accuracy of the work are the consequence of long practice and examples, which have been transmitted from generation to generation throughout centuries; and indeed these popular designs may very well compete with the best specimens of similar work from any other European nation. ”

“ Náprstek and her indefatigable efforts, the collection continued constantly to increase, and in 1887 & 1888 a large number of beautiful Slovenic embroideries were added at great cost.
During the last ten years popular embroidered work began to be collected also in other parts of Čechoslovenic countries, and many valuable and numerons collections have been made, which are not only a directive of taste for the whole range of artistic needlework, but also important ethnographic specimens of our culture. ”

“ It shows large blossoms, simple in order and connexion, which viewed as a whole has a harmonious effect, but if closely observed, presents many things not exactly in accordance with our taste, that have doubtless been introduced at a later period into the ancient patterns. ”

“ On looking over even the few plates of this smaller collection one cannot help being struck with the rare precision of the work of our people, and it seems almost incomprehensible, how these and similar specimens of popular needle-work could, even twenty years ago, have been c ompletel overlooked, and how it came to pass, that only lately attention has been directed to them, and collections begun to be made. ”

“ The pattern represents a rose-bush, is worked in raised stitch with thread, ground is in many places ornamented with tinsel. Bought in the neighbourhood of Josefov 1880.
Plate XXIV. A gold coif (dýnko) made of strong white linen, completely covered with golden embroidery. The pattern is in many places highly raised, worked with beads, bullion and tinsel in various stitches; the ground thickly set with gold thread, caught by arched lines of bullion. Bought 1886 in the northwest of Bohemia. ”