Usually, the Rupp Report is not the forum for advertising or promoting any kind of events that are
not directly related to its readers. For this Rupp Report, the author made an exception: It’s about
the famous Abegg Foundation in Riggisberg, at Lake Thun in the Swiss Bernese Oberland.
Globetrotters
Many readers of the Rupp Report are travelers, and most probably, globetrotters. Some of them
travel for weeks at a time. And in some weeks, some of them come to Switzerland for business or
leisure. And if these people are not driving their own car, they rent a car at the airport to be
flexible for their business trip. And sometimes, these business people sit bored in a hotel room
and have some spare time. And all these people have something in common: they are working with
textiles. So here is an idea for a trip outside the beaten path of business.
Another Type Of Museum
Usually, all these business people are dealing with the most advanced technologies, from
fibers to ready-made garments. Rarely, somebody asks about the background or the history of
textiles. Many of the these people like to visit museums and galleries. In general, these museums
exhibit all kinds of art including sculptures, paintings, antiques, and such. But how many museums
exist that exhibit old textiles? Not many, the Rupp Report supposes, and not many people know that
textiles were already being produced 5,000 years ago. However, for interested parties, here is a
place in Switzerland where one can learn about and see old textiles:
The Foundation
In December 1961, Werner and Margaret Abegg founded the Abegg Foundation after long private
collection activities. Their interest and commitment from the start was focused on the research and
preservation of old textiles. The foundation consequently had five main tasks:
- to establish a comprehensive collection of woven textiles, starting with the Abeggs’ private
collection; - to create a museum featuring fine and applied artworks from antiquity through the Baroque
period and to present annually changing special exhibitions featuring works from the textile
collection’s sophisticated and rich resources; - to offer a textile conservation and restoration program, and implement and operate a
college-level degree program for the training and education of future professionals; - to fund a public scientific library with an online catalog with the main focus on applied arts,
textile arts and conservation; and - to promote a scientific exchange in the textile arts sector through the establishment of a
research institute, organization of conferences and publication of relevant materials.
The Founder
Abegg is a very famous family name in the Zurich area. The Abegg family members worked mostly
in textiles, and even more in the silk trade, which had its main actors in Zurich. Werner Abegg, a
Swiss textile industrialist, was born Dec. 9, 1903, and passed away on July 13, 1984. In 1924,
Abegg took the lead over the family-owned textile factory in Northern Italy. His implemented
modernizations in the mill were a great success and generated considerable wealth. In 1947, the
company was sold, and Abegg moved to New York City for some time.
Even in his young days, Abegg started to collect historical textiles, paintings and crafts.
In 1961, he founded the Abegg Foundation, and he moved the collection in 1967 into a newly built
prestigious building complex at Riggisberg, where he also took up residence.
The Abegg Foundation
The Abegg Foundation’s collection comprises textiles and art objects from Europe, the Middle
East and regions along the Silk Road. Its world-famous collection of ancient textiles dates from
the fourth century B.C. up to the year 1800 C.E. Highlights include large wall hangings from
ancient Egypt, as well as European fabrics and liturgical vestments from the 12th to the 18th
century. Other centers of attention include collections of eighth- and ninth-century Central Asian
weavings as well as silk robes from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) in China.
An extremely important task is conservation and restoration, with the main emphasis on
textiles. No doubt the Abegg Foundation is one of the most prestigious institutes for this task.
Apart from its public areas, the foundation also educates students in the art of conservation of
old fabric and textile artifacts.
The foundation offers a five-year degree course to one student per year in cooperation with
the Swiss Conservation-Restoration Campus and the Bern University of Arts (BUA). The students
choose their areas of specialization at the beginning of their studies and receive individual
supervision by the head of the textile conservation workshop and the senior conservators.
The author remembers a story that was told to him some 20 years ago in Riggisberg by the
former head of the restoration department: She explained that some years ago, probably in the
1980s, the museum had to restore a linen coat that was said to be owned by St. Francis of Assisi
(1181 – 1226). During the restoration of the coat, the team discovered a hole that had been
repaired and sewn in with a corresponding linen fabric.
One year later, another job was to restore old linen fabrics from a church in Belgium. And
this fabric had a hole with the exact measurements of the patch that was in the coat of St. Francis
of Assisi. Amazing, isn’t it?
Changing Exhibitions
The most interesting part for visitors is the exhibitions. Every year, the museum presents an
exhibition dedicated to a special sector of ancient textile art. This year, from April 28 to
November 10, the subject is “The Pleasures of Collecting Works of Art and Textiles from Historic
Private Collections.” The exhibition will be open daily from 2:00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Library
For book aficionados, the foundation is an El Dorado: It also includes a public professional
library. The library houses literature covering textiles as well as art in general, painting,
architecture, history, archeology and sculpture from ancient times up to the early 19th century.
Interested parties may consult current periodicals, the card catalogs and the online catalog in the
reading room. The catalogs list some 60,000 entries and 200 current periodicals.
The museum is a never-ending source of amazing discoveries. If this report has the flavor of
being very enthusiastic about the Abegg Foundation, then one can say “mission accomplished.” More
information about the exhibition and the foundation can be found at abegg-stiftung.ch. The Rupp
Report wishes a safe and pleasant Magical Mystery Tour.
April 17, 2013