Sunday, May 18, 2008

Mushroom Entry


I like this dress, there is lot of giant mushrooms on it. They have started to appear quite often on clothes, I guess that Japanese design has something to do with it, as far as I am able to say from searching the internet. Maybe I am wrong, does anybody know?



Mushrooms in general are nice subject for design, there are few around my house: a T-shirt (above, 2007), a scarf (follows, 1950s), baby overalls (1980s) and a cup (pre-war), the latter from the time when it started to be a highest scream of kitsch - toadstool and a dwarf or a child like on the cup presented here. It is interesting to trace it back, where this image comes from, apparently from Victorian British painting of fairies and pucks where mushrooms started to appear randomly every now and then. The style of paintings became popular in magazine illustrations in subsequent era and that is how it all started. At least that is how it seems to me after I did some research on it. There were also Bavarian fairy-tales involved in this evolution, they liked red mushrooms with white spots there a lot. And, of course, a mushroom and a frog themselves are much older, mythological, still, the 19th century illustrations gave the image its appearance.


Anyway, the fact that Czechs are tempted mushroom hunters doesn't have any mystical reason, it is a pure education of public through good mushroom guide books published here in larger amount since the beginning of the 20th century. That way people stopped being scared of poisonous kinds and also started to pick other species than just boleti. These two illustrations go with a folk poem from the pre-war time, so are the illustrations, general stuff from my little son's books.


These pictures come from an exhibition in a little school somewhere out in mountains where I come from. I liked how they had it done artistically, not just like a scientific mushroom guide book but also the way that mushrooms could be an inspiration. And they did not mean the psychedelic ones, of course, they just felt there is something creative in them.

Now the giant mushrooms are especially appealing to me right now, they are painted a lot but I haven't been able to find any reference to it in some kind of a written source. If I ever do, I'll let you know. This painting is by Barbora Motlová.

8 comments:

Villakiana said...

I love mushrooms, especially cute cartoon-like on children clothes. Maybe all the mushrooms in clothes are part of retro desingn, in Finland retro stuff is popular today.

raining sheep said...

Mushrooms are such a Czech thing to me. I remember gathering mushroom when I lived in the Czech Republic as a child, with my grandparents. I also have cute Czech glass mushrooms (muchomurky) for my Christmas tree and finally I remember a beautiful Czech book I still have and used to translate to my children that had little white mushrooms as the characters. Can't remember the name - something like Kremilek a Muchomurka or something like that...forgive the bad spelling.

Bohemian girl said...

Křemílek a Vochomůrka! You know, I have never considered them being mushrooms! And they probably are. I just thought they were dwarfs, just creatures or something. There must be lot of eatable mushrooms in Canadian forests.

Danz said...

Hmm...I like mushrooms but I don't have anything with mushrooms on it. I think I may have to do some DIYing!

Jill said...

Thanks for leaving me a comment on my blog so I sould find yours! Somehow, mushrooms have been finding their way into my house lately too...on Japanese fabric and children's stickers. I wish I knew more about collecting the wild ones! I love seeing your knitting and sewing too and all the info on tradtional knitting and craft in your country. So interesting! When I was growing up, my mom was a rug weaver, and sometimes would spin and dye her own yarns, so I come from a background of traditional craft too. I look forward to seeing more :)

Bohemian girl said...

Jill, that is really nice to read, it is cheering me up and giving me strength for more blogging that has been leaving me lately.

Line said...

nice theme!
I love the skirt, too.
Thanks for your comments on my blog!

Anonymous said...

Have you seen Herge's giant mushrooms?
http://multimedia.fnac.com/multimedia/images_produits/ZoomPE/1/9/0/9782203001091.jpg