Artificial Flowers: Ora, Labora, et Flore

media release: Session 1: 11am-12pm; Session 2: 1pm-2pm. Registration link coming soon!

UW Madison recently acquired a small and intriguing manuscript produced in the eighteenth century by Benedictine nuns at the St Godelieve Abbey in Bruges, Belgium. Across 30 handwritten leaves, and inserts of handpainted designs, as well as loose scraps of paper of various sizes, the manuscript gives written instructions in French and Dutch for how to dye textiles and create artificial flowers. The Benedictine motto ora et labora (“pray and work”) gives context for how flower making may have functioned in abbey life as a meditative form of handicraft. It also tells us about botanical knowledge, craft skills, dyes and the role of women in this realm of artistry.

As scholars embark on a new project to translate, examine and digitize this manuscript, as well as reconstruct some of the recipes within it, this event is the first chance to learn about this fascinating manuscript with the project team of Tianna Uchacz (Texas A&M) and Sophie Pitman (UW Madison). 

Hosted by the Friends of the Libraries (UW Madison) at the Center for Design and Material Culture in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (where the manuscript is on loan from Special Collections), the event will be held in the textile classroom, where the manuscript can be viewed alongside other related objects such as religious vestments and artificial flowers made from wool and hair.