Evening star., 1941-04-27

HOlldHQ, she SpcltG IlcI SAiAAoAiO0N "S
The Hague, in the shadow OF the
royal palace. Her father, DR.. Gerrlt
van der Filler, was court chaplain
to Queen Wilhelmina and officiated
at her marriage and coronation. A
graduate of the Royal Art Academy
and the Royal Netherlands Art
Weaving and Gobelin School, she
supplemented her education in weaV-
ing and art by travels throughout
Europe.
Opposes Sacrificing
Quality for Quantity.
It breakfasted in The Hague and
dineo in Paris" she explained, as
she told OF how she studied the
ancient art of Gobelin weaving at
the French capital while still living
in Holland.
Gobelin is the most difficult OF
all weaving, Nine. van der Filler
declares, although Arras weaving
is the most popular. Whatever type
It may be-Arras, Egyptian, Colonial
or art-she insists weaving should
be an art and never commercialized
to the extent of sacrificing quality
for quantity.
On a constant lookout for designs
adaptable to weaving, Nine. van der
Filler has had many interesting ex-
periences during her searches in
foreign lands. Speaking seven Ian
guages fiuently, she has lived in l6
different European countries and
has travelled around the world. She
found many exotic designs and col
orings in temples in India and in
the palaces of Oriental princes.
While visiting the Dutch Indies
as young girl, she so attracted a
native prince that her friends feared
she might be invited to join his
harem, consisting then of 200 wives
and they advised her to leave the
country as quickly as possible. 1T
was my blond hair, I guess" she
laughingly explained.
Twenty years ago, Nine. van der
+. Filler came to the United States
/ bringing her Dutch looms and many
fine samples of weaving and settled
in Florida Her work there attracted
considerable interest and she was
| invited to teach at the University
OF Miami. She also purchased prop
erty and opened studio. A few
months later, while yacationing ir
Paris. she read of the Florida hur-
ricane which destroyed her home
and many fine pieces of weaving.
Taught Blind Girl
BY Touch and Smell.
! But they can't keep the Dutch
down" she asserted. and I just
started all over again"
This time she moved West anc
after short residence in Californis
and in Oregon, where she taught
in the universities, sailed for Ha-
waii, to remain for three years.
She considers her residence ir
Honolulu one of the most interesting
OF her career. While teaching al
the university, she was attracted
to blind Filipino girl, who wished
to learn Egyptian weaving Nine
van der Filler evolved a system ot
touch and smell, making raised de.
signs for the blind girl to feel apc
teaching her the different colors by
means of different perfumes scent.
ing the wool.
Nine. van der Filler has the salts
faction today of knowing that hel
blind pupil is studying under q
scholarship at Columbia University
after which she will become princi-
pal of the High School for the
Blind in Manila.
Alaska with its snowcapped noun
tains and its curious totem-poles
has also beckoned the Dutch
traveller. Although totem poles have
been used in creating a few de-
signs, Nine. van der Filler is not
enthusiastic about the North coun-
try. There was not much inspira
ton there" she said.
Indian Designs
Found Interesting.
Nine. van der Filler considers the
primitive designs of the Indians OF
other parts of the Western Hemis-
phere more interesting than those
of Alaska. She spent many weeks
studying the Aztec designs and
symbols in Mexico. and in Guate-
mala she found approximately A
different figures and patterns fol-
designs, she says. She adapts the
designs to articles she weaves, in
Guiding tapestries, table linens
women's clothing and accessories
Her designs interpreted in water
colors are lovely paintings, and
the colors used in weaving are SC
richly blended it is difficult to rea-
lie the pictures are painted
through the medium of wool OF
silk.
Nine. van der Filler, now q
naturalized citizen, plans to give
increasing study to American In
dian weaving.
The Indians in the United States
are much more gifted as artists
than either those of Mexico or Cen
tral America" she concluded.