T K F
GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG
DER TEXTIL - KUNST - FORSCHUNG

A brief history of TKF

The Austrian Society for Textile-Art-Research, “Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Textil-Kunst-Forschung (TKF)”, was founded as a not-for-profit association in Vienna in 1982 by Prof. Wilfried Stanzer and Dr. Georg Butterweck. The association’s aim is to enhance research and deepen knowledge of textile arts and to bring recently achieved results to a wider audience. Over the past years, we have held a great number of symposia and international conferences on ethnological textile arts and oriental carpets, released a number of publications and supported various museums in relevant projects, both financially and in an advisory capacity. In particular, TKF works with UNESCO, the Viennese Museums of Ethnology, “Museum für Völkerkunde”, and  Natural History, “Naturhistorisches Museum”, and the University of Applied Arts, “Universität für angewandte Kunst”, by both advising students and supporting them financially.

The founding members were a number of carpet enthusiasts, amongst them Peter Trimbacher (d. 2003), Dr. Ernst Albegger, Manfred Leitner, Hubert Borger, Dr. Alfred Janata (d. 1993) and Karl-Heinz Dietrich. Some were professionally involved with oriental carpets: the owners of the Viennese carpet store “Teppichhaus Adil Besim OHG”, Adil Besim, Ferdi Besim and Fritz Langauer,  Franz Sailer, and Hannes Bösch, Helmut Reinisch and Paul Konzett from Graz. Membership increased rapidly and stands at about one hundred today.

Wilfried Stanzer was the first chairman of TKF from the beginning until 1986, Karl-Heinz Dietrich was chairman in 1986 and 1987, and Wilfried Stanzer returned for the period from 1988 until 1998. He was followed by Peter Bichler, who will be chairman until 2012. Peter Bichler is a member of the ICOC (International Conference on Oriental Carpets) Executive Committee and chairman of the ICOC International Committee.

At first, TKF focused its activities on the research and presentation of oriental carpets and flatweaves. In the meantime, it has widened its focus to include textiles from all over the world.

The most important TKF events and publications

The first large event organised by TKF was the exhibition of antique Anatolian carpets “Antike Anatolische Teppiche aus österreichischem Besitz” in Schloss Eggenberg in Graz. The task of choosing the 60 exhibits from the stocks of the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, the Styrian county museum (Joanneum) in Graz, and the approximately 300 pieces submitted by TKF members was carried out by a jury chaired by Dr. Ernst Albegger. This first TKF exhibition and the release of the book “Antike Anatolische Teppiche aus österreichischem Besitz” were a complete success.

The party at the end of this very successful exhibition has become a much loved tradition which has been ‘celebrated’ over 20 times and has gone into TKF history as the annual, so-called ‘Hammelfest’ (mutton barbeque) . It is not just a culinary and social highlight, but also an educational one; the organizers (Univ.Prof. Dr. Helmut Eberhart, Manfred Leitner and Gert Walter) have been always able to attract top class lecturers. It should also be mentioned that the organisers’ wives provide the ‘culinary delights’.

After the success of this exhibition in 1983, TKF organized the 5th ICOC in Vienna and Budapest in 1986. This conference, managed by TKF in cooperation with the Iparmüvészeti Muzeum in Budapest, was also a great success. TKF member Horst Lorenz organised the world renowned show “Antike Orientteppiche aus österreichischem Besitz” in the Künstlerhaus in Vienna. Recently, TKF was able to present 131 carefully chosen carpets in a publication with the same name.

In 1992, the committee decided to undertake TKF’s largest and most financially involved project: a type of survey of the most important textile items owned by Austrian private individuals, which had not yet appeared in any publication. They decided to issue a portfolio of colour plates, which would be released over a period of several years. This would allow for the most comprehensive documentation and also for new discoveries and areas of collection to be included. Helmut Eberhart, Manfred Leitner and Wilfried Stanzer were responsible for the editorial work, Gert Walter for the distribution.

The aim was to provide a first-rate cross section of Austrian collections, ranging from Morocco to Indonesia, from the classical oriental carpet to Art Nouveau curtain, from knotted art to the complicated double ikat weave. The artistic expressiveness of the piece was taken into account when considering it for inclusion. The leather portfolios – in yellow, red, and black – were hand-crafted in Morocco. 1999 saw the first consignment of 24 plates, 2002 the final set of the 99 plates.
A few copies are still available at a special price, see “Books”.

At Dr. Peter Baumann’s suggestion, TKF organised a highly regarded exhibition of carpets from Eastern Turkestan and Turkmenia "Gewebt und Geknüpft – aus Linzer Sammlungen" (Woven and knotted – from collections in Linz) in Linz in September 2002. In September 2004 the Linz section of TKF presented 67 items in Schloss Aschach on the Danube. Amongst the items of the exhibition called „Gewebt und Geknüpft II – Antike Teppiche aus oberösterreichischem Privatbesitz“ (Woven and knotted II – antique carpets from private collections in Upper Austria) were knotted carpets, flatweaves, coptic fragments and Chinese and Persian silk weaves. This exhibition was documented in a publication by Dr. Georg Butterworth.

As part of TKF 30th anniversary celebrations, 2012 will see “Gewebt und Geküpft V” in Schloss Aschach, the focus of which will be Salor carpets and rugs.

The first symposium on Hallstatt textiles was organized by TKF in Hallstatt in 2004 in co-operation with the prehistory department of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna and the department of archaeological science at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and under the patronage of the UNESCO Commission Austria. The aim of this event was to present the textile proof of a highly civilised culture that had been recovered from the salt-mines in Hallstatt to a wide international group of experts and to promote further excavation, research, treatment and preservation in Austria as well as to inspire young archaeologists, restorers and scientists to dedicate more time to this subject matter. TKF, the Natural History Museum and the University of Applied Arts will host the second international symposium on Hallstatt textiles in 2012.

TKF has organised lectures and presentations by internationally renowned specialists, including S. Azadi, M. Bischof, A. Boralevi, H. Böhmer, M. Buddeberg, S. Bunn, R. Chenciner, P. Collingwood, W. Denny, D. Dodds, V. Enderlein, Chr. Erber, M. Flury- Lemberg, H. Harrauer, U. Horak, A. Janata, H. König, B. Matuella, M.-L. Nabholz-Kartaschoff, D. Pelz, R. Pinner, J. Rageth, M. Ryder, F. Spuhler, A. Steinmann, C.M. Suriano, N. Tarrant, E. Tsareva, A. Völker  and R. Yamamoto as well as members of TKF, which  have covered the most diverse topics of textile research from oriental carpets to prehistoric textiles. Over TKF’s 30 years, there have been about 300 lectures and presentations.  A small selection from recent years:

2004:
Replica and Forgery – Theodor Tuduc the master forger
Unpublished pre-historic Textiles from Pazyryk

2005:
Naga textiles
Central-Asian Textiles from the Altai Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert
Bogulan Mud Cloths from Mali

2006:
Symposium in Linz, in co-operation with the Lentos museum of arts and Christian Erber:
Kelim and Modernity – an encounter at the Lentos

2007:

• Crusaders exhibition “Kreuzritter” including a lecture on carpets at Schallaburg castle
• “Benin” show at the re-opened Völkerkundemuseum Wien (Museum of Ethnology, Vienna)
• Presentation of the Dr. Foitl Collection at the re-opened Völkerkundemuseum Wien (Museum of Ethnology, Vienna)
• “IV. Textil & Kulinarium” (4th Textiles & Culinary Art) – unknown pieces from private collections
• Symposium “26th Meeting of Dyes in History and Archaeology” (DHA26) at Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Natural History, Vienna)

2008:

• Excursion to Budapest
• Excursion to Schallaburg
• Trip to Armenia with Georg Telfeyan
• Exhibition “Gewebt & Geknüpft III” (Woven and Knotted III) – Schloß Aschach/Linz with lecture by P. Hoffmeister (D), Dr. M. Klimberg (A), S. Jansen (D), and A. Boralevi (I)
• Prammer Collection im Pergamonmuseum, Berlin
• Völkerkundemuseum Wien (Museum of Ethnology, Vienna) – presentation of Foitl Collection, lecture, publication
• Hofburg- Haus Besim presents the Walter Baluch Collection, including book presentation.

2009:

• General meeting in Vienna with guided tour of the Foitl Collection and lectures
• "Fälschung, Kopie und Pseudowissenschaft" (Forgery, Copies and Pseudoscience) in Vienna
  Schallaburg - "Napoleon" (Dr. Pfaffenbichler) - lecture about French silks and Egyptian tapestries
• Schloss Halbturn – exhibition, “Guizhou – Hidden China”
• Salzburg - TKF day with exhibitions from private collections and lectures
• Stift Admont - liturgical textiles from the treasure chamber, lectures on liturgical textiles in Christianity, Judaism and Islam
• Berlin – Volkmanntreffen
• TKF day in Vienna

2010

• General meeting at the Völkerkundemuseum in Vienna (Museum of Ethnology)
• TKF Day in Graz
• TKF summer talk: “Textile Identities: Bedrohte Schönheit (beauty in jeopardy)”
• Schloss Aschach – “Gewebt und geknüpft IV” (Woven and Knotted IV)
• Volkmann meeting in collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art (State museums of Berlin)

2011

• General meeting in the TARIM UYGHUR RESTAURANT, Vienna Presentation “Textiles from Xinjiang in the Animal Style– from 300 BC to 300 AD” by Dr. Helga Natschläger
  
• Bolivian Textile Arts, presentation, collection
  
• Klosterneuburg monastery, guided tour of the new display of the textile treasue by Dr. A. Völker, presentation Marina Zingarelli (Italy) Restoration of the Cloak of the Prophet Muhammad
  
• ICOC Stockholm (Copenhagen, St Petersburg)
• Bustrip Graz - Zagreb, Museum of Applied Art, Zagreb, lace festival
• Volkmanntreffen
• Schloss Kapfenstein (Southeast-Styria, near Bad Gleichenberg – Fehring) Prof. Wilfried Stanzer “ Morocco revisited “
• Hofburg Wien, Adil Besim: The collection Breuss, Usbekische and Kirgisische textile art.