Oseberg 27J2 Tablet Weave

It's been a while since I did any weaving, but I had a weaving project in mind, and wanted to get right back into it. My new Hedeby bag needs a new strap!

This is band 27J2 from Oseberg, one of the many bands incorporated on the Oseberg Tapestry and reconstructed for the first time in the book "9 Bands from Oseberg," which is a spectacular work and part of a two-book set. This is by far the simplest weave in the two books, as the rest range from intermediate to very advanced, and sometimes use some very different and perhaps even experimental techniques.

I selected this one not only because it was simple, and thus a good option to get back into the rhythm as well as break the ice with these books, but also because it is a thin band, utilizing only 7 tablets. That was ideal-- I wanted to use it as a strap for a bag that has very small bracket holes, thus needing thin material for the strap.

I had originally intended on weaving it in plant-dyed worsted wool. But after hours of rummaging through my collection, I was utterly uninspired by the color assortment and just didn't like any of the combinations for this band. So I made the decision to weave it instead with plant-dyed silk. I did not consider, until I was already into the warping process, how much thinner this would make the band-- and holy crap, it is tiny.

The completed product is beautiful-- but it's also about 10 fingerprint ridges wide!

The silk was dyed by another craftsperson, and if memory serves, it was done with cinnabar (red), pistachio (green), and indigo (blue). While these materials are not currently attested to for Viking Age Scandinavia, I made an exception because all silk was imported anyway, allowing for a whole different range of dyestuffs. I have not done much research in that regard, but I'm aware that cinnabar was used during the 12th century according to the manuscript "On Divers Arts" and obviously indigo was available in many places as well. I admittedly have no idea when pistachio dye became a thing, but I do know they are native to Asia and India, and I'm at least satisfied that the color can be reproduced with other dyestuffs! I'd rather have plant-dyed material in the right color with the "wrong" dyestuff than a modern dyed material.

Although I can't use this for the original intended purpose, I still love the end product and am deciding whether I should sell it or hang on to it to use on clothing someday later! Truthfully, I'm just happy to weaving again.