Highland Mermaids: Interwoven stories of a tapestry from the Victoria & Albert Museum

The Sheikha Amna Bint Mohammed Al Thani Gallery is devoted to Europe between 1600 and 1815. 1100 objects are displayed across seven galleries, including some of the most magnificent works held by the Victoria & Albert Museum. In the Room 7, Level -1, close to the exit, there is a red tapestry labeled as follows:

“Portion of a tapestry. 1650-1720. This tapestry was made with Chinese silk imported to Mexico via Manila. The red color was made from crushed cochineal insects, which were native to South America. The bird in the centre is the mythical Asian phoenix, which is shown with the brand wing-span of the Andean condor. The mermaids play lute, and some of the flowers resemble Chinese chrysanthemums- Peru- Coloured wools, silks and gilded thread, tapestry woven. Museum No. 933-1901”

These few lines reveal the complexity of the materials and components of the warp and weft of this singular textile and the trade that connected the most distant geographies from Asia and the Americas.

Presenter

Dr Irina Podgorny

Irina Podgorny is a permanent research scholar (“Investigadora Principal”) at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and Director of the Historical Archives of the Museum of La Plata, Argentina. Irina is a current Visiting Fellow at the Humanities Research Centre, ANU

This series is an opportunity for our HRC Visiting Fellows to present and receive feedback on the research they are working on. In 2022 , Visiting Fellows are exploring the theme of Mobilities