Love for Literature, Culture, Art, Religion, Music and sports lives in the ancestors & descendants

Source picture: Malaki Z. Croes (Aruba)

As we connect everyone to the family tree we also learn of many special interests of the descendants:

Daphne van Schendel-Labega visits Saba Lace Group


Source:http://www.sabatourism.com/communitynews109.html

April 21, 2004

One of Curacao's "Pioneer Women," Daphne van Schendel-Labega, spent Thursday afternoon with the Saba Lace Group.

Van Schendel-Labega made the acquaintance of Angie Johnson, spokesperson for the group recently, when the two women were waiting at the Saba airport. Johnson was working on a piece of Saba lace, which intrigued van Schendel-Labega, who has several pieces of her own.

The two women shared their interest in the cultural importance of Saba Lace, and van Schendel-Labega returned to the island this week and brought her Saba heirloom pieces with her. She recalled that Queen Juliana immediately admired one of the pieces, a huge tablecloth, as Saba Lace during a luncheon that van Schendel-Labega organized during the1965 royal visit to Curacao. This exceptional tablecloth was part of a trousseau prepared for a young Curacaolinian bride in the 1960s. The Saba lace work is done throughout the piece, rather than in border strips. Another tablecloth was given to her by her aunt who was the wife of Max Huith, Saba administrator during World War II.

Van Schendel-Labega also brought 130 handiwork booklets, which she will leave with the group as an inspiration to modernize this ancient art. She complemented the Saba Lace Group on coming together to carry on this old tradition.

Van Schendel-Labega told the group that her family was one among the very first European settlers on St. Maarten. Her father moved the family to Curacao, where he could get a better job, and she was born there. She is the retired Director of Curacao's public libraries and is currently working on several publications, with a particular interest in preserving the culture of the Netherlands Antilles. She is featured in a book "Pioneer Women of Curacao."

Daphne van Schendel-Labega's Saba lace works will join other pieces from the Saba Lace Ladies Group at an exhibition to be held at the Holland House Hotel, Philipsburg, in May.

Photo:: Daphne van Schendel-Labega addresses the Saba Lace Ladies Group. In the background are her heirloom pieces of Saba Lace work.