Submitted by the Lopez Library

Textile artist Astri Bryde is a visiting scholar with a special interest in Viking Age textiles and textile crafts and is giving a talk at the Lopez Library on Friday, Nov 17 at 6 pm “On the Treasures of the Oseberg Ship.” The next day, Saturday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., she will be giving a free Viking textile and garment-making workshop at the Lopez Library.

Astri is currently a student at the University of South-Eastern Norway, working on her Master’s thesis on the subject of textile tools from the Oseberg ship burial, and their possible uses related to the tapestries from the same find. Her talk, “The Treasures of the Oseberg Ship” takes a closer look at some of the fantastic treasures from the Oseberg ship burial, which is dated to the year 836 CE, the early years of the Viking Age. The Oseberg ship was discovered in 1904, near Tønsberg in Norway, and excavated shortly thereafter. It was the first proper archaeological excavation done in Norway, where as much care as possible was taken to preserve all the material. A quick “tour” through some of the most interesting treasures: Textiles, textile tools, furniture, kitchen tools, foodstuffs, seeds, horses and so on, and also look into some of the more mysterious finds.

Astri will also be teaching a Viking Textile Workshop Saturday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. where participants will learn stitches and seams of the Viking Age like felled seams with straight stitch and whip stitch and Viborg seams. Please RSVP to nikyta@lopezlibrary.org to register for the workshop and plan to bring a bagged lunch.