Lansiodd Arddangosfa Gobaith Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru ym mis Ebrill 2020, ar ddechrau’r cyfnod clo cenedlaethol. Nod y project yw creu sgwariau lliw enfys 8” neu 20cm gan ddefnyddio hoff dechneg y crefftwr – gweu, ffeltio, gwehyddu neu grosio. Bydd y sgwariau wedyn yn cael eu rhoi at ei gilydd gan wirfoddolwyr Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru gan greu carthen enfys enfawr a gaiff ei arddangos yn yr Amgueddfa ac yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau, Abertawe. Yn dilyn yr arddangosfa caiff carthenni llai eu creu o’r garthen enfawr a’u rhoi i elusennau amrywiol.
Hoffem ddweud diolch yn fawr i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu at y project hyd yn hyn, mae’r ymateb wedi bod yn anhygoel ac rydym wedi derbyn dros 670 o sgwariau o bob cwr o’r wlad! Rydym yn ddiolchgar am bob sgwâr a dderbyniwn, ynghyd â’ch negeseuon caredig a dymuniadau gorau. Mae’n hyfryd clywed bod cynifer ohonoch wedi teimlo bod creu’r sgwariau hyn wedi helpu yn ystod y cyfnod digynsail a heriol hwn. Er nad oes modd i ni gyfarfod, rydym yn un mewn ysbryd, gobaith a chymuned.
Aeres Ingram yw ein cyfrannwr mwyaf toreithiog ar hyn o bryd, mae hi wedi gwau 70 sgwâr ar gyfer y flanced! Wrth siarad am y prosiect, meddai:
"roedd gwau’r sgwariau ar gyfer y flanced enfys wedi fy helpu'n fawr yn ystod y cyfnod clo ac fe roddodd ymdeimlad o berthyn a chyflawniad i mi, gan wybod fy mod yn ymwneud â rhywbeth pwysig a hefyd helpu rhai mewn angen. Edrychaf ymlaen at weld y darnau wedi’u gwnïo gyda’i gilydd a’r flanced orffenedig."
Cafodd Arddangosfa Gobaith ei chynnwys yn Wythnos Addysg Oedolion a rhyddhawyd dau fideo o’r Grefftwraig Non Mitchell yn dangos sut i greu sgwâr wedi’i ffeltio a’i wehyddu. Os hoffech greu sgwar, gymrwch olwg ar rhain:
Rhannodd elusen Crisis (de Cymru), sy’n cefnogi pobl ddigartref, wybodaeth am Arddangosfa Gobaith ar eu tudalennau Facebook a chreu pecynnau yn cynnwys gwlân a chyfarwyddiadau i’w hanfon at ddefnyddwyr y gwasanaeth i’w helpu i gymryd rhan.
Lluniwyd y sgwariau hynod gain mewn lliwiau, arddulliau, pwythau, a chynlluniau amrywiol. Dyma hanes rhai o’r sgwariau a’u crefftwyr...
Sgwâr o liwiau'r enfys wedi'i wau ar gyfer y flanced obaith
Crewyd y sgwâr hwn gan ein Gwirfoddolwr Gardd Susan Martin. Mae Susan wedi troellli edafedd ei hun a’i liwio’n naturiol. Mae’r lliwiau enfys yn dod o gymysgu glaslys, llysiau lliw a’r gwreiddrudd gwyllt â gwyn i greu effaith ysgafnach a brethynnog, gellir dod o hyd i’r holl blanhigion hyn yng Ngardd Lliwurau Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru. Derbyniodd Gardd Lliwurau Naturiol yr Amgueddfa Wobr Gymunedol y Faner Werdd sy’n newyddion arbennig! Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am yr Ardd Liwurau ar ein gwefan.
Sgwâr wedi'i weu a logo Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau arno ar gyfer ein blanced obaith.
Lluniwyd y sgwâr hwn gan y Gwirfoddolwr Crefft Cristina gan ddefnyddio’r edafedd cyntaf a wnaed gan y Cynorthwyydd Amgueddfa, Stephen Williams, a’r crefftwyr dan hyfforddiant Richard Collins a James Whittall wrth iddynt ddysgu i droelli. Cyfrannodd ymwelwyr yn ogystal at greu’r edafedd, gan gynnwys menyw oedd heb droelli ers ugain mlynedd, plentyn tra byddar, â mam i aelod o staff.
Sgwâr wedi'i weu a logo Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau arno ar gyfer ein blanced obaith.
Crëwyd y sgwâr hyfryd hwn gyda logo’r Amgueddfa gan Gynorthwyydd Oriel Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau, Ruth Melton.
Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at groesawu’r Gwirfoddolwyr Crefft yn ôl i’r Amgueddfa y flwyddyn yma a dechrau ar y gwaith o greu’r garthen. Cadwch lygad barcud ar ein gwefan a’n tudalennau cyfryngau cymdeithasol i gael y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf.
Diolch i The Ashley Family Foundation a Sefydliad Cymunedol Cymru am gefnogaeth gyda’r prosiect.
Shw'mae! I’m Rachael, one of the graphic designers here at Amgueddfa Cymru.
Branding an event or exhibition is one of my favourite parts of my role across our museums. The project team often meet and throw ideas around, seeking sources of inspiration from our collections and the public connections people have with whatever exhibition or event we’re preparing.
We knew that Burton was going to mean a lot to visitors, but how to approach it was an important focus for this project. There are plenty of people who know who Burton is, but an early exit from Hollywood meant that he didn’t get his “final act”. As such, a whole generation missed out on seeing him act through his twilight years, and we found that Burton is an unknown name in young audiences in particular.
We experimented with a 1960s mid-century feel at first, playing with Burton’s profile in a traditional theatre style. Because of his changing life, we found that while some people recognised the illustration instantly, others didn’t see “their” Burton.
Taking those bright colours on black we began to try adding photographs from Burton’s life, giving a representation of the Burton who people knew, and who they would get to know in the course of the exhibition. However, our leading man needed a larger centre stage and we went back to our original favourite images to find a strong image which represented the iconic years.
Our final option, against the poster you are now familiar with, was a later-in-life image of Burton, shot by the photographer Douglas Kirkland. This was a personal favourite, but rather than remembering Burton for the tabloid headlines view of an aged, world-weary actor we wanted to show Burton as that and more, the family man, the Welshman, the author.
A final addition of the red, to symbolise the Hollywood red carpet and Burton’s Welsh roots, made the poster complete.
The Becoming Richard Burton exhibition opened in November, but the exhibition and the museum have been closed due to government guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic since December. We hope that the museum and the exhibition will reopen to visitors again soon. In the meantime, visitors can see some of the photos and personal papers from the exhibition on the Becoming Richard Burton digital platform. Visit the platform now.
When a UK-wide lockdown came was announced on 23 March of this year, we were in the final stages of delivering Becoming Richard Burton, the first major exhibition anywhere, about one of Wales’ most iconic names and faces.
The exhibition was due to open on 4 April after nearly four years of planning, but with ten working days left until opening, the Museum was closed to the public, the staff sent home and the exhibition mothballed until it was safe to reopen.
With its origins in a partnership between ACNMW and Swansea University, where the Richard Burton Archives are held, the original scope of the exhibition sought to bring together as much material from around the world as could be gathered, to tell the story of Burton’s fame, wealth, success, decline and legacy.
It quickly became apparent that the objects, images, and media associated with Richard Burton, are still a lucrative source of income for those people and organisations in possession of the collections, copyright, and licenses for that material.
Very quickly, costs escalated beyond what was feasible or achievable to deliver, which required a revision of the agreed approach and for us to ask ourselves, what story can we tell about Richard Burton at ACNMW that hasn’t been told before?
Following some evaluation testing with target audiences, it also became apparent that Burton was almost an unknown to younger people born after his death at 59, in 1984.
Despite having been the most famous and photographed man in the world at the height of his fame, his death at a young age meant denied him the opportunity of a third act to his career, as an older actor.
There were no Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or Marvel superhero films to provide the later life profile afforded to Burton’s contemporaries, such as Richard Harris, Robert Hardy, Alec Guinness, and Christopher Lee.
Presented with this revelation, we set ourselves the challenge of ‘rebooting’ Burton’s legacy for a 21st-century audience, whilst also serving an older audience already familiar with him, by providing new insights into the life of the man behind the well-known myths.
Focusing the story in this way became the key that unlocked the puzzle for ACNMW Curators, as they researched the contents of the Richard Burton Archives and found the less well-known father, son, brother, friend, writer, reader, and fiercely proud Welshman.
The contents of the archive are largely two-dimensional paper objects, which brought another set of challenges in designing an engaging, three-dimensional exhibition experience, leading to a decision early on in the process, to secure a selection of targeted supporting loans that would add texture and depth to the exhibition.
Likewise, as the costs associated with licensing film clips and photography presented such a practical obstacle, we took a strategic approach to identify those that would serve our story best.
Thanks to further partnerships in Wales with BBC Wales, ITV Wales, National Library Wales, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, West Glamorgan Archives, and the Dylan Thomas Centre, we were able to assemble a list of loans that would enhance the archive contents, at a fraction of anticipated costs, to support the personal narrative we were developing.
Additional loans were secured from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Theatre Museum, and Costume d’Arti in Rome, which following a few nervous weeks of frantic logistics, arrived on-site just as Europe began to lockdown in early March.
By the end of February, we were feeling confident we had everything in place to deliver the exhibition we had envisaged, despite the challenges encountered, but nobody expected what would happen before the end of March, when the Museum closed and we were all asked to stay at home.
When the dust had begun to settle and we’d all begun to adjust to working from home, our thoughts turned to how we might need to adapt the exhibition experience within the context of COVID-19, as it has been designed in a pre-social distancing world.
Following the lead set by other public spaces, our first step was to embrace a one-way system through the exhibition galleries.
Fortunately, the one-way system was largely consistent with the biographical narrative of the exhibition, which we co to reinforce at a few points with brass barriers and velvet rope, just like the type you might see at a cinema or theatre premiere.
We had to upgrade the specification of our graphic panels to be laminated with an anti-bacterial sealant, as this allows the panels to be cleaned with anti-viricidal chemicals without causing damage.
A planned cinema-space had to be revised and opened out, with seating removed, to allow visitors to watch archive interviews if Burton on Welsh television whilst maintaining social distancing.
Interactivity was the most significant casualty of the planned experience, as we had to remove any push buttons, touchscreen displays, or headphones, and ACNMW Digital and Technical teams were tasked with re-designing audio playback in the gallery, as synchronised, passive experiences.
On reflection, revising the exhibition design allowed us to enhance the overall experience and the challenges we were presented with became an opportunity to improve upon the original design.
We decided to open a new exhibition during a pandemic for the same reason we continue to keep our Museums open; the importance of maintaining free access to the nation’s culture and heritage, in support of good mental health and well-being for all.
Exhibitions are complicated projects that draw teams of staff from across the organisation and take a great of time and planning to deliver.
To come so close to opening, just before the first national lockdown, we were all disappointed to think the exhibition would never open.
Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Museum staff and partners, we have adapted the exhibition and are delighted it will now be open to the public.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing the Museum is closed to the public again, in line with Wales Government restrictions, but will hopefully re-open again soon, when it is safe to do so.
The cycle of opening/closing at short notice will inevitably reduce the number of people who will get to visit the exhibition compared to pre-COVID times, but we are certain it will be greatly enjoyed by those visitors that manage to see it.
Whilst Museum opening continues to remain uncertain, we have developed a digital Becoming Richard Burton exhibition, which will be launched on 15 December, to provide an online platform for the exhibition content.
The digital exhibition will not seek to replicate the experience of visiting the physical gallery, as there is no substitute for engaging with real objects.
Instead, we are adapting the exhibition content as an interactive experience online, where users can engage with the Richard Burton story, as a complement to the physical exhibition. You can visit the digital exhibition now.
The exhibition will also include several fun games and creative interactives that users will be able to share across social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Not only will the digital exhibition provide support while the Museum is closed due to COVID, but it will also provide access to the Museum for users around the world, remaining online beyond the life of the physical exhibition as a research resource.
The journey over the last four years from inception to opening Becoming Richard Burton has become an epic worthy of the man who played both Alexander the Great and Mark Antony, a labour of love for all the staff and partners who have contributed, which we are all so proud to share with our visitors in Wales and online across the world
Gan ei bod yn bryd hongian hosanau Nadolig unwaith eto, dyma ni’n fforio’n harchifau a gofyn i Mark Lucas, Curadur y Diwydiant Gwlân yn yr Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru am hanes yr hosan yma yng Nghymru. Fel mae'n digwydd, mae yna lawer i'w ddweud, ac os cewch eich ysbrydoli i roi cynnig ar wau eich hosan Nadolig eich hun, mae gennym ni batrwm hawdd iawn i'ch helpu chi i wneud hynny.
Hanes gweu hosanau yng Nghymru
Mae traddodiad hir o weu hosanau yng Nghymru, ac yn yr 18fed a’r 19eg ganrif, cyfrannodd gweu hosanau at economi ddomestig cefn gwlad Cymru. Byddai hosanau yn cael eu gweu ar yr aelwyd yn y gaeaf, a’r teulu cyfan yn helpu. Roedd y Noson Weu yn draddodiad yn y Gymru wledig, lle byddai cymdogion yn dod ynghyd i weu yn gymdeithasol, a gwrando ar hen straeon, caneuon hynafol neu gerddoriaeth ar y delyn.
Bala a Thregaron oedd y canolfannau gweu hosanau, a chynhaliwyd marchnadoedd mawr deirgwaith y mis yn y trefi hyn. Ym 1851, roedd 176 o hosanwyr yn Nhregaron a’r cylch.
Mae gwlana yn hen draddodiad Cymreig arall. Byddai grwpiau o fenywod yn dilyn porthmyn neu gerdded y ‘llwybrau gwlana’. Bydden nhw’n casglu’r darnau bach o gnu o’r caeau a’r llwyni, yn plygu, estyn a thynnu bob un darn o gnu gwerthfawr. Byddai’r menywod yn ymweld â ffermydd ar
Diorama Gwlana
hyd y ffordd gan gyfnewid llety, bwyd a newyddion lleol am waith o gwmpas y fferm. Weithiau, os oedden nhw’n lwcus, byddai’r ffermwr wedi cadw cnu i’r menywod. Roedd yr hawl i gasglu’r cnu’n werthfawr, a byddai menywod ifanc a oedd yn gweithio fel morwynion yn sicrhau eu bod yn cael bythefnos i ffwrdd ar gyfer casglu cnu bob blwyddyn. Byddai’r menywod yn dychwelyd adref gyda’i sachau trwm llawn gwlân. Bydden nhw’n ei olchi a nyddu’r edafedd er mwyn ei ddefnyddio i weu hosanau a dillad eraill.
Bachyn edafedd
Oherwydd diffyg trafnidiaeth yn y Gymru wledig, os byddai rhaid i bobl deithio bydden nhw’n cerdded, ac wrth gerdded byddai menywod yn gweu gyda bachyn edau. Mae bachyn edau ar siâp S, gydag un pen wedi’i gysylltu â gwasg eich dillad a phellen ar y pen arall, er mwyn i chi gael eich dwy law yn rhydd i weu wrth gerdded. Yn Sir Aberteifi yn yr 19eg ganrif, byddai menywod yn cario mawn o’r mynyddoedd i’w ddefnyddio fel tanwydd. Bydden nhw’n cario hyd at 27kg o fawn mewn basgedi ar eu cefnau, i gadw eu dwylo’n rhydd i weu wrth gerdded. Byddai menywod hefyd yn gweu ar eu ffordd i’r capel, ond yn stopio cyn camu i dir cysegredig.
Gwisgwyd gweiniau gweill ar ochr dde’r corff ar ongl i ddal gwaelod y waell, gan adael y llaw chwith yn rhydd i weithio’r edau ar y waell arall. Byddai’r wain yn dal pwysau’r gwlân ac atal y bachau rhag cwympo oddi ar y gweill.
Gweiniau nodwyddau gweu
Traddodiad Cymreig yw rhoi gweiniau gweill fel arwydd o gariad. Cai’r rhain eu cerfio’n gywrain gan ddynion ar gyfer eu cariadon. Fel arfer maent wedi’u cerfio o bren, ond mae enghreifftiau i’w gweld o ifori a metel.
Manylion peiriant gweu hosanau
Yn Oes Fictoria, daeth peiriannau hosanau yn boblogaidd. Gallai’r peiriannau hyn weu hosanau’n gyflymach o lawer nac y byddai merched yn gweu â llaw.
Cynhyrchodd diwydiant hosanau gogledd Cymru 300,000 pâr o sanau i luoedd y Cynghreiriad yn ystod y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf.
Ym 1966 gallai Melin Dreifa yng Nghwm Morgan, dan berchnogaeth David Oliver, gynhyrchu 7 pâr o hosanau’r awr, a byddai’r peiriannau gweu trydanol yn aml yn cynhyrchu 250 pâr yr wythnos.
Esiampl o sanau Corgi
Mae’r traddodiad yn fyw hyd heddiw yn ffatri Corgi yn Rhydaman, sy’n cyfuno sgiliau traddodiadol a pheiriannau modern i gynhyrchu sanau gwlân. Maent yn adnabyddus ar draws y byd am greu sanau a hosanau moethus ac ymhlith eu cwsmeriaid y mae’r Teulu Brenhinol.
Hosanau ar ddangos yn Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru.
Beth am wau hosan Nadolig eich hun?
Mae gennym ni hosanau gwau cain iawn yng nghasgliad Amgueddfa Wlân Cymru, ond os hoffech chi roi cynnig ar rywbeth symlach, mae gennym ni batrwm gwau syml iawn ar gyfer hosan Nadolig y dylech chi allu ei baratoi mewn pryd ar gyfer ymweliad Siôn Corn. Er na allwn warantu y bydd yn cael ei lenwi, mae ein siopau yn Amgueddfa Sain Fagan ac yn yr Amgueddfa Llechi Genedlaethol yn Llanberis (gwelwch eu gwefannau am fanylion agor cyn cychwyn) yn cynnig gostyngiad o 10% ar eitemau i lenwi'r hosan, i unrhyw un sy'n dod â hosan Nadolig wedi'i gwau â llaw gan ddefnyddio'r patrwm hwn. Felly, ewch ati i wau!
Mae noson Calan Gaeaf ar y gorwel ac mae’n siwr fod plant ledled Cymru yn ysu am gael hyd i’r wisg ddychrynllyd berffaith ar gyfer y noswaith, a phwmpenni ar draws y wlad yn cael eu gwacáu a’u cerfio. Daw rhai o’r traddodiadau hyn oddi wrth ein ffrindiau dros ddyfroedd yr Atlantig, ond yn y blog hwn hoffwn gynnig blas o’r ffyrdd eraill y dathlwyd y dyddiad hwn yng Nghymru.
Diwedd y Cynhaeaf
Gyda chasglu’r cynhaeaf a dyfodiad Calan Gaeaf roedd y gwaith amaethyddol trwm yn dod i ben am y flwyddyn. Roedd diogelu’r cynnyrch yn barod at y gaeaf yn dynodi diwedd yr haf a dechrau’r gaeaf, sef diwedd yr hen flwyddyn Geltaidd ar Noson Calan Gaeaf. I ddathlu’r achlysur pwysig hwn byddai llawer yn paratoi gwledd foethus yn llawn danteithion a cherddoriaeth er mwyn diolch i gymdogion am eu cymorth yn hel yn cnydau. Roedd hi hefyd yn arfer i ladd anifeiliaid fferm yn y cyfnod hwn er mwyn cadw’r cig at y gaeaf.
Bwganod ar Bob Camfa
Ond, yn ôl pob sôn, gallai pethau rhyfedd iawn ddigwydd ar noswaith Calan Gaeaf. Roedd rhwydd hynt i ysbrydion grwydro’r wlad a chredid y byddai eneidiau’r meirwon i’w gweld ar bob camfa am hanner nos. Byddai i’r ysbrydion hyn nodweddion gwahanol o ardal i ardal ond dau o’r bwganod mwyaf cyffredin oedd y Ladi Wen, ac yn arbennig yn y gogledd, yr Hwch Ddu Gwta. Arferid cynnau coelcerthau wedi iddi dywyllu, ond wrth i’r fflamau farw ac wrth i’r tywyllwch ennill y nos, ofnid gweld yr Hwch Ddu Gwta. Rhaid oedd brysio adref heb oedi, ac wrth wneud hynny, byddai rhai yn adrodd:
Adref, adref am y cynta’, Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio’r ola’
neu
Hwch Ddu Gwta a Ladi Wen heb ddim pen
Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio’r ola’
Hwch Ddu Gwta nos G’langaea
Lladron yn dwad tan weu sana.
ac hefyd
Hwch Ddu Gwta, yn brathu coesau’r hogia’ lleia’.
Stwnsh, Tair Powlen a 'Thwco ’Fale'
Roedd llawr o ofergolion yn gysylltiedig â’r adeg hon o’r flwyddyn, yn enwedig y rhai hynny a fyddai’n eich galluogi i ddarogan y dyfodol. Dau gwestiwn pwysig ar lawer tafod oedd pwy fyddai’n priodi a phwy fyddai’n cwrdd ag anffawd marwol. Er mae’r un oedd y cwestiynau, byddai y modd y’u hatebid yn amrywio o sir i sir. Yn Sir Drefaldwyn, byddid yn paratoi stwnsh o naw cynhwysyn (yn eu plith ceid tatws, moron, erfin, cennin, pupur a halen), wedi eu cymysgu gydag ychydig o laeth ac yn y canol, rhoddid modrwy briodas. Byddai pawb yn cymryd ei dro i brofi’r stwnsh hwn a’r sawl a fyddai’n dod o hyd i’r fodrwy yn siwr o briodi ymhen dim.
Traddodiad arall oedd plicio croen afal mewn un darn, a thaflu’r croen dros eich ysgwydd. Byddai siap y croen ar y llawr yn dynodi llythyren gyntaf eich darpar briod.
Yn ardal Llandysul byddid yn llenwi tair powlen: un â phridd, un â dŵr â gwaddod ac un â dŵr clir. Wedi rhoi mwgwd am y llygaid, rhaid oedd estyn a chyffwrdd un o’r powlenni. Roedd gwahanol ystyr i’r dair. Byddai’r cyntaf yn darogan marw cyn priodi; yr ail yn darogan priodas gythryblus a’r drydedd yn dynodi priodas hapus. Arferid hefyd chwarae gemau megis 'twco ’fale', neu fersiwn braidd yn fwy peryglus, ceisio dal afal yn hongian o’r to ynghlwm wrth gannwyll, yn eich ceg!
Eitemau Brawychus ein Casgliadau
Mae sawl eitem dychrynllyd yn ein casgliadau. Yn eu plith bydd dol o Wlad Belg a gasglwyd gan Edward Lovett (1852-1933). Roedd gan Lovett ddiddordeb mawr mewn swynion, boed yn rhai lwcus neu’n rhai anlwcus. Gwnaethpwyd y ddol hon o gwyr a gellid ei defnyddio i niwedio eraill trwy osod piniau neu unrhywbeth miniog ynddi, ac os am achosi marwolaeth araf boenus i elyn, gellid ei thoddi yn araf mewn simne. Gwrthrych dychrynllyd arall yw potel gwrach gyda swyn wedi ei gosod ynddi. Mae’n debyg nad agorwyd y botel hon erioed. Gosodwyd poteli tebyg mewn waliau adeiladau i amddiffyn rhag ysbrydion drwg.
Straeon i Godi Gwallt Pen
Recordiwyd miloedd o siaradwyr gan Archif Sain Amgueddfa Werin Cymru dros y blynyddoedd. Ymysg ein recordiadau ceir toreth o straeon am brofiadau arswydus, am fwganod ac ofergoelion. Mae rhai o’r straeon yn perthyn i’r siaradwr ei hyn tra bod eraill yn rhai a drosglwyddwyd ar lafar o’r gorffennol o un cenhedlaeth i’r llall.