Textiles in Ethiopian Manuscripts Colloquium
Description: The Robertson Davies Library invites you to attend our half-day colloquium presented by the Textiles in Ethiopian Manuscripts SSHRC-funded research project. Co-directed by Professor Michael Gervers (University of Toronto) and Massey Senior Fellow Sarah Fee (Royal Ontario Museum), the project consists of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the University of Toronto and from international institutions who are studying textiles found pasted on the inside book boards of Christian Ethiopian manuscripts from the 15th–19th century. Through these objects, the project’s main focus is to provide insights on Ethiopian culture and the countries/regions from which the textiles originated—insights of which will be shared during this colloquium.
Please also join us for a special viewing of our latest acquisition after the colloquium, a late 18th-/early 19th-century Ethiopian manuscript with a 19th-century textile pastedown and leather carrying case.
The program is kindly co-sponsored by the Book History and Print Culture Program, the Faculty of Information, The Centre for Medieval Studies, The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, and the Department of Historical & Cultural Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough
Please Scroll to the Bottom of the page to register for the event. This event is in person only.
Registration closes 24 hours in advance. For further information or questions, contact Chana Algarvio (calgarvio@masseycollege.ca).
8:30–8:50 AM — Registration
8:50–9:00 AM — Introduction to the Textiles in Ethiopian Manuscripts (TEM) Project — Michael Gervers
Session 1: Ethiopian MSS & TEM
9:00–9:20 AM — “A Short Introduction to Ethiopian Manuscripts” — Alessandro Bausi
9:20–9:35 AM — “Chroniclers and Textiles in the 16th–17th Centuries” — River Hobel
9:35–9:45 AM — Discussion
Session 2: What Texts Tell Us
9:45–10:05 AM — “Beyond the Coast: Textile Routes in the Ethiopian Highlands, 1500–1900” — Abemmelek Ermeyes
10:05–10:25 AM — “What (European) Texts Tell Us: Textile Imports in Highland Ethiopia, 1500–1900” — Sarah Fee
10:25–10:35 AM — Discussion
10:35–10:45 AM — Coffee Break
Session 3: What Textiles Tell Us
10:45–11:00 AM — “Indian Textiles in Ethiopian Manuscript Bindings” — Rosemary Crill
11:00–11:15 AM — “From ‘Bizarre’ Bodice to Book: Repurposing European Dress Silks in Ethiopian Manuscripts” — Martina D’Amato
11:15–11:35 AM — “Japanese Textiles Preserved in Ethiopian Manuscript Bindings” — John Vollmer
11:35–11:55 AM — “Travels of a 15th Century Indian Printed Cotton” — Michael Gervers
11:55 AM–12:05 PM — Discussion
Session 4: Next Steps and New Tools
12:05–12:45 PM — “‘To See the World in a Grain of Sand’: A Visualization Dashboard for TEM” — Philip Sykas & Steven Delamarter
12:45–12:55 PM — Discussion
12:55–1:00 PM — Closing Remarks — Andreea Marin
1:00 PM — Lunch and Manuscript Viewing
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