Like a sermon from a loom: exhibition in St. Blasius Church

Paraments, i.e. the fabric hangings on the pulpit or lectern in the church, are not just decoration, but are characterized by liturgical colors and full of symbolism. And this in turn can be wonderfully creative, as Christiane Möller proves. In the exhibition "Paramentik und Textilkunst", which can be seen until October 5 in the St. Blasius Church in Hann. Münden, Ziegelstraße, she is showing a selection of her works, open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission free.

One example: flickering flames on a red background are based on the Pentecost story. Red stands for love, fire and the Holy Spirit; the tongues of fire that came from heaven enabled the disciples to preach in foreign languages (Gospel of Luke). With their symbolism, the paraments themselves are like a sermon from the loom, to be read in colors and shapes.

Christiane Möller not only produces commissioned works, she also gives free rein to her imagination, and paraments of a special kind are created from chance finds. There is a story behind each of her textile works of art. For example, a hymn came to her mind during a preliminary discussion with a customer, and the hymn took shape on the loom. Another time, she discovered interesting cushion covers in a furniture store and, instead of weaving them herself, used ornaments made from the gold band of a chocolate wrapper. The Tunisian crochet technique, learned from a migrant from Afghanistan, also proved to be quite suitable for making a parament. A triptych in shades of blue, made for a special exhibition, became a seascape with seahorses added later, and an unexpected donation of wool resulted in a wall hanging in bright autumn colors. The motifs are sometimes figurative, sometimes abstract - once mathematical: she has also implemented the Fibonacci sequence on the loom. Christiane Möller completed an apprenticeship to become a parament maker, including a journeyman's certificate. Parament makers not only produce paraments, as the job title would suggest, but also stoles for pastors, altar cloths, communion cloths, buffs and more. It is a dying craft; of the 50 or so parament workshops that once existed in Germany, there are now only eleven, says Christiane Möller. In her workshop in Eisenach, she not only cultivates the old craft techniques herself, such as various weaving, embroidery and wool spinning, but also passes them on in workshops. She describes the "artistic credo of a parament maker" as a "harmonious combination of art, spirituality, tradition and innovation".