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This fragment is part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" carpet.
Through the fragment we trace the journey of the fragment owners and their collabs as they explore, experiment and creatively advance socially relevant themes. Here is the fragment as we are sending it on this three and a half-year journey.
Follow this story to observe the transformations the fragment undergoes over the course of these years...
The Journey Begins...
...with Nadania Idriss from Berlin Glass Works
Hi everyone, I’m super excited to share the journey of replicating fragment #36 in glass! The fragment is part of a 3-year long project coordinated by CulturalxCollabs, DHL, Rugstar and FMIK e.V.. Here’s a little welcome of the beautiful fragment at our front door and on the marver in the hot-shop.
The Process
The process I plan to use is called glass fusing.
Here’s what I plan to do:
I made two copies of the patterns on the fragment, which I will trace using a light board. The lines will serve as a template for the @bullseyeglass powers and frits I’ll use to make “wafers”.
The wafers are small, flat fused pieces of colour that when assembled on the base glass should recall the original pattern. Should - let’s see - I’m not an artist but I know the principles of the technique!
I’m using glass that we already have in the studio...
...so for the base of the carpet, it’s going to be French Vanilla. The photocopy I made shrank the pattern so making the wafer will need a little effort to make the pattern to scale.
I love the edge of the glass and think I might keep it organic rather than cutting it straight.
What do you think?
There was a slight change of plans:
Instead of adding the extra step of rendering the patterns as a wafer, I decided to put the powders and frits directly on the base glass. I’m using colours that we already have in the studio so it won’t exactly be true to the original carpet and to be honest I’m not sure what each colour looks like when it’s melted! This is actually quite fun! I did add Egyptian Blue, which is one of my favorite colours. Let’s see!
I only did one side of the carpet so far and am fusing together the other two pieces of the base. It’s going to melt at 780 degrees Celsius!
The results of first firing are in:
Firing worked perfectly and now for the larger patterned area!
I do love the bright colours and I’m thinking of putting a layer of transparent Frits on the base glass to give it some texture.
And just like that...
...the carpet is ready for its last firing! Can’t wait to see the final results
It's finished!
It was so much fun to make the carpet in glass. I used what we had in the studio, so the colors are not exactly true to the original, but I think it's always a nice option to interpret the piece. The process I used was glass fusing, which is taking layers of glass and melting them together. The powders and frits I used created a wonderful texture, too. I used a low-ish temperature to fire the glass - 780 degrees Celcius, so that the frits, in particular, would stay rough.
And now the carpet Fragment 36 will be off to California, where the amazing designer Cedric Mitchell will take a turn at interpreting it!
Front and Back
About the Project
The Museum for Islamic Art's project, #CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the future, celebrates the transformative power of cultural exchange and the shared threads that unite us all. All the things we love, have loved and will ever love come from cultural exchange, migration and diversity, or as we like to call it #CulturalxCollabs.
100 carpet fragments, cut from a replica of the iconic dragon carpet, will travel the world (delivered by DHL). The fragments will ignite #CulturalxCollabs with co-creators, inspiring human ingenuity, fostering community and ultimately demonstrating how cultural exchange enriches all our lives.
Follow #CulturalxCollabs on Instagram as the project unfolds...
...or learn more here
Weaving the Future
Join us on a journey with 100 carpet fragments as they travel around the world for three and a half years, finding temporary homes while bridging cultural boundaries, fostering worldwide community united by the power of human stories.
Fragment Journeys
100 carpet fragments part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project. Follow their journeys through the ever changing owners' over three and a half years.
Where is the Dragon?
The star of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project is a so-called Caucasian dragon carpet from the 17th century. A dragon carpet - all well and good - but: where is the dragon?
