Research

Throughout time, horsehair is material that has been utilized for various purposes. Today we still utilize it for brushes, violin bows, and western tack with horsehair hitching. Historically however, it was utilize much more. Everything, from fishing lines, to sieves for sifting flour, to hats and wigs. My favorite historical use for it though, is horsehair weaving and the creation of horsehair fabric.  

Horsehair weaving takes its roots in the middle of the 18th century, when this fabric was developed from the abundant supply of horsehair from working horses whose tails were cropped. Woven with a cotton or silk warp and a horsehair weft, horsehair fabric proved to be a very durable, long lasting material which was perfectly suited for furniture. 

Horsehair weaving is a craft rich in history and almost as fleeting. There are only a handful of companies that manufacture horsehair textiles today on a commercial level and even less who manufacture horsehair fabric on an artistic level on their own personal loom. There is also very little research on the history of horsehair weaving, its processes and uses, particularly in the United States. 

One of my goals is to research the history behind it and to keep this craft alive by utilizing it in ways that appeal to the modern person. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on my research and experiments. 

Ways to Support My Research: 

If you are a history enthusiast and would like to support my research projects You can do so in the following ways: 

1). Hair Donation: I do accept donations of horsehair for utilization in research projects. If you would like to donate extra horsehair, please ship it with a note saying you'd like to donate it to: 

Jennifer Metesh 223 Falling Spring Rd Charlotte TN 37036

2.) Financial Support: Primary resources are few and far between on horsehair fabric. Some research materials are located in various museum collections around the country, but haven't been digitized online. I would like to be able to visit some of these libraries and museums in person and spend some time reading the material and studying original examples. 

If you'd like to donate to historical funds, you can send funds via Venmo or PayPal. All funds donated for research purposes are utilized for research purposes. 

Venmo- @JenniferMeteshStudios

PayPal- jennifermeteshstudios@gmail.com