Linen textiles from the Kjøng Factory 1774-1924 – new perspectives on long lost

Lecture by Karis Rasmussen, Køng Museum.

Abstract

Today much focus and emphasis is put on climate and sustainability. New laws are passed in the European Union to make it possible to trace clothing from production to consumer to find solutions to reduce pollution connected to the clothing industry. In this light, attention is turned to using natural fibres such as linen.

From this perspective, it is worth taking a look at the history, of the Kjøng Factory which was the most renowned Danish linen factory at its time. The Kjøng Factory supplied the Royal Danish House in 1789 with large quantities of linen. Today the former administration building of the factory is housing the Køng Museum. 

Køng Museum is situated in a small village in South Zealand between Næstved and Vordingborg. It is run by a strong group of dedicated volunteers, who work hard to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations. Under our care, we have a fair amount of damask-woven textiles that date back to the start of the Kjøng Factory. Other Kjøng-textiles are in the care of Museum Sydøstdanmark, and some are in the care of Designmuseum Danmark. Charlotte Paludan, former leader of the Designmuseum Denmark, has previously done research into the textiles from Køng, however, there is still much to be learned.

This research project is centred around the following questions:

  1. How have the Køng damask and twill textiles been produced?
  2. What connection can we find between pattern, binding, fibre, and tools?
  3. What are the characteristics of a Køng damask or twill?
  4. How do they reflect the period in which they were produced?

CTR meetings and lectures Spring 2024

Every other Tuesday at CTR, we have administrative meetings running through the semester, followed by a scientific presentation, either by a CTR member or an invited scholar. We kindly invite everyone interested to join these lectures.

Lecture, ca. 14:00-14:45

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