LINEN, A PRODUCT FROM NATURE
The Latin name for the flax plant is Linum Usitatissimum. When we translate this Latin into comprehensible language it means “most useful flax”.
Flax or linen is the thread spun from the fibers of the flaxplant. In Flanders, flax seeds are sown by the end of March or beginning of April. The seeds are sown close to each other so the plant will grow straight. The growth takes only 100 days. The harvest begins by the end of July and ends early August.
The blue and white flowers look very elegant but bloom only one day.
In the old days, the harvesting used to be done by hand. It was painful and exhausting work.
Nowadays in Japan there is a flax cultivation in Hokkaido. The weeding is done by hand. It requires a lot of energy and manpower.
Flax is very important to the history of Flanders. For hundreds of years, Flanders was one of the most important flax producers in the world. The area had many small rivers, ideal for the cultivation of the flax plant. Also the homogeneous soil, adequate daylight, short nights and the water that is both damp and warm were good factors for the growth of linen.
That means that nature is important for the growth of one of the strongest and oldest vegetable fibers.
The history of flax goes back many years. In the medieval period, the linen cloth was used for medical care because it was the most hygienic textile at the time.
In the 17th century, lace became a statussymbol. We can see this in the portraits of high-class people by famous artists. For example: the Flemish painter Van Dyck painted queen Henrietta Marie in 1632 with collar and cuffs in delicate bobbin lace. Van Dyck used linseed oil obtained from the flax plant to create these first oil paintings.
The paintings were done on linen fabrics. When the linen fabric became wet during the painting process, it kept its durability and strength. The fibers of the canvas have a hollow structure which contains wax. The wax keeps the bacteria away. That is the reason we can still admire all these historical paintings.
and Ireland (1625 –1649) through her marriage to Charles I.
During the 18th century, the production of flax knew an enormous growth. Many families were involved in the Flemish linenindustry. In the 18th century, linen was always worn next to the skin to protect the over garments from soiling.
But as lace reached its glory period, the demand for thread became too high.
The spinning of flax started to lose its prominent role in Flanders due to the introduction of the spinning jenny (spinning machine) in England at the end of the 18th century.
The growth of flax should be looked after because flax provides not only linen thread but the seeds contain oil for dyes, paint, ink, cosmetics and floor coverings.
In Belgium we had a fine quality linen. The Belgian linen is still beautiful but the thickness of the thread is different from before. The ultra fine thread cannot be spun anymore due to the pollution of the soil and the rivers.
In 2003, Unesco presented a water report in Kyoto.
“Of all the social and natural crises we humans face, the water crisis is the one that lies at the heart of our survival and that of our planet Earth,” says UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.
“No region will be spared from the impact of this crisis which touches every facet of life, from the health of children to the ability of nations to secure food for their citizens,” says Mr Matsuura. “Water supplies are falling while the demand is growing at an unsustainable rate. Over the next 20 years, the average supply of water world-wide per person is expected to drop by a third.”
Worldwide there is an economic crisis but this can be restored. The damage humans have done to nature will be much harder to undo. We should be aware that everything comes from nature and we should have the greatest respect for it.
Belgium
Nationaal vlas, linnen en kantmuseum
Etienne Sabbelaan 4,
8500 Kortrijk,
http://www.kortrijk.be/vlaskantlinnenmuseum
As I am living in Japan I discovered that linen is very practical in daily life.
The Japanese summers are very hot. Every year it seems hotter. The fashion designers promote the wearing of linen to protect the body. Linen can absorb 20 times its weight in moisture before it feels damp. Linen fabric feels cool and dry to the touch.
When I started to live in Japan, I wondered why I could see so many people with masks. Actualy this is a habit which dates back for many years. The use of linen as mouth protection dates back from 650 before Christ. The linen was recommended as a cough remedy.
Ever since my youth I sometimes had trouble with my skin. A few years ago, I was introduced to a Japanese company, which is cultivating flax in Hokkaido. This company provides extracts from the flaxplant. I am taking these supplements every day and my skin problems are gone. What a coincidence… I was always talking about the Belgian linen during my lectures and it is the Japanese flax which resolved my problem.
This is proof that respect for nature can do miracles to people all over the world.
Japan
http://www.amanosato.jp/
