Textile Heaven

B and I attended a  Photography Club photo-shoot today at the wonderful ‘Country & Eastern’ shop/Museum at the Old Skating Rink (a former Victorian Roller Skating Rink) in Norwich.  The site comprises of part museum which houses a collection of items under the umbrella of the South Asian Decorative Arts & Crafts Collection Trust, some of the 4000 items are on display and other items regularly are shown at exhibitions, this is also a valuable resource for student research.
 
The shop has the most amazing range of decorative furnishings, textiles and clothes based on the traditional skills of crafts people in South Asia.  They work closely with their suppliers to keep alive traditional crafts such as woodblock printing, handloom weaving, rug weaving, embroidery, vegetable dyeing, ceramic and miniature painting.  All the items are sourced by the owners who travel and select all the items on sale.
 
I was in seventh heaven, being a lover of textiles, patterns, colours and textures, I could have spent an absolute fortune, although saying that, many of the items were very reasonably priced.  I have included a picture of the building interior which has an amazing roof and some extras of the wonderful things I could so easily have bought.  Instead I was very happy to photograph them, and could have easily lost several hours in there.
http://www.countryandeastern.co.uk/catalog/catalog/default.php?osCsid=2f9a1e18c4ad7089b4143b28935d6467