Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-11
ENJOYS WIFE DYES
WOOL FOR WEAVING
Nine. Baehke Conquers An
cient Tapestry Art Dating
to Viking Era.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Since the days of the Viking Kings
one of the favorite pastimes of the
ladies of Norway, and as an exponent
of the art Nine. Harvard H. Bachke,
wife of the Minister from Norway, has
proven herself true daughter of the
Norsemen. Not unlike the Gobelin tap
estries of France and in quality some
what similar to the antique Flemish,
famed throughout the world for their
beauty, the Norwegian tapestries bear
the distinction of having the same fin
iSh on both sides. The reason for this
is explained by Nine. Bachke.
MANY centuries ago. the Norwegian
mobiles lived in castles which contained
but one immense room. This room was
partitioned off into numerous apart
ments by means of the tapestries made
by the women and as both sides of
these hangings could be seen, it was
necessary to have both sides perfectly
finished. In this way the art of weav-
ing pattern showing the same on both
sides developed in Norway and / be-
lieve it Is the only place in the world
where such tapestries are found"
A study of unusual interest is told by
Nine. Bachke relative to taking up the
art of weaving, which now forms one
of her favorite interests and pleasures.
Many beautiful tapestries, rugs and
hangingS have come from her loom and
have been exhibited in Oslo.
Several years ago." she said, "my
little son was very ill., and the doctors
told me that the only way I could save
his life was to take him up into the
mountains, where the climate might
l.1l, hi nh rntfaur
high in the mountains, far beyond Oslo,
where I knew I would of necessity live
a more or less retired life, away from
my friends and the diversions of the
city. I decided that before going into
my mountain seclusion / would try to
learn something which would occupy
my time and retain my interest.
had never done any weaving, but long
had been interested in 1t as an art.
Realizing that it Is work which re-
quires much time and perseverance,
concluded it was Just what l wanted
to interest me during the long Winter
months, when the deep SHOWS far up
in the mountains would keep me in my
cottage for days at a time. So l went
to very fine old lady of Oslo, Nine.
Frida Hansen. who was an expert IN the
ancient art as known in the primitive
day of Norway, and I asked her to
teach me to weave. Nine. Hansen her
self had mastered the ancient art OF
weaving by untiring research and in
defatigable work among the few persons
left in my country who really knew the
secret, the old peasant women living in
out-of-the -way and practically UNI
known parts of Norway. For weeks at
time Nine. Hansen had visited these
people, living among them and adopt
ing their rustic customs, until she had
mastered the method of weaving as
practiced by them and their ancestors
for more than q thousand years.
Proud Of Mastery.
mime. Hansen had patriotic and
justifable pride in her mastery of this
ancient Norwegian art, and she had no
sympathy with those women who IN
later years started the work as fad
and then gave it up before one piece
Of work had been finished. When l
| asked her to teach me to weave, she
said she would do so if proved had
| the patience to do the work. I proved
| to her satisfaction that I was serious
| in my desire to master the art, and so
| she consented to take me as pupil.
| It is to this dear old lady that owe all
/ know of weaving, and several OF my
| tapestries have been copied from the
| original patterns designed by her.
| Many of Nine Hansen's works are
found in the leading MUSEUMS of the
| world. including the Louvre In Paris ana
South Kensington Museum in London:
81 feel that 1t Is really through the
works and the efforts of Nine. Hansen
| that this ancient art of my country has
been revived Many times in the past
| 900 years tapestry weaving. as known
| to the women of the Vikings of the fifth
and sixth centuries, has practically died
out in Norway. then, suddenly, it crops
| I'D again from some section OF the
| country and becomes quite the fad OF
the moment: But no one can really
learn the art unless they are serious
about it and have infinite patience.
For three years I remained in my
mountain home. A governess and the
servants were most Of the time the only
companions of my son and myself dur
| ing that time, and I would work on my
| tapestries many hours through the long
Winter days and nights. Then, when
the Summer came, would have long
hours of daylight, as the night did not
| fall in that far Northern country until
| 10 or II o'clock.
Part of the pleasure Of my weaving
was purchasing the raw wool and dye
ing and preparing it myself. I would
Duy Hihily pouIiuo Va VIC ioeul "a Mooi
as it was clipped from the sheep. Then
would have O woman wash it, Some
| times it was necessary to wash the wool
at least Is times, as it was exceedingly
! oily. After washing 1t, would then dye
1t the different colors which I wanted
for my pattern
"How did you do your dyeing," Nine.
Baclke was asked? 1T must have re-
quired a special stove and many vats
and pots for so much WOOL"
NO" replied Nine. Bachke," I did all
my work in the tiny kitchen Of my
mountain cottage. 1t was great fun in