The history of textiles, more than that of any other artefact, is the history of human ingenuity. From the very earliest needles of 25,000 years ago, to the "techno textiles" used in Space Shuttle parachutes, they have been fundamental to human existence and achievement, and - as this book demonstrates - have informed developments in many other areas from agriculture to metallurgy. Textiles are truly global commodities, common to every culture and for a long time the motivation for trade, the exchange of ideas and sometimes even conflict, between these cultures. Silks from China, carpets from Persia, ikats from Indonesia, cottons from India, fine linens from Flanders - each one of these transactions has helped to shape the modern world. Written as a chronological survey spanning prehistory to the early 21st century, this book is organized around five themes - materials, methods, trade, technology and social structures - which allow textiles from all ages to be investigated from many angles: how they are made, what they are made from, how they function in society, the ways in which they are valued and given meaning, and the messages they contain. This approach shows the intricate re

Rare and authentic, this vintage guide to the intricacies of Victorian needlecraft features step-by-step instructions for mastering an array of techniques and patterns. Scores of diagrams and photos illustrate a rich and varied repertoire of needlework projects and related crafts. Aspiring or accomplished, needleworkers at every level of expertise will find many projects here to love, all abounding in old-fashioned charm. Featured projects include Bulgarian, Catalan, Hungarian, and Baro embroidery; a lesson in netting; hemstitching; making fringes; Berlin wool-work; Rhodes embroidery and punched work; Bohemian, Carrickmacross, Innishmacsaint; and reticella lace; and beads and beadwork. Approx. 87 b/w illustrations.

Lacemaking was once a widespread cottage industry but now it is growing in popularity as a hobby. This book describes and illustrates different varieties of pillow lace and the tools used in the making of it.'

This new book provides an organized, chronological guide to the evolution and development of the myriad types of soft headgear worn by the SS. As the pre- and war-years progressed, geographical areas of operation changed, and the composition of the SS divisions evolved. So also, did the headgear worn by these troops. This reference illustrates a great number of these examples with over 600 photos including more than half in color. The overwhelming majority of these pictures including many rare original candid period snapshots have never been seen before in any previous publication.

Chinese textiles go back thousands of years. The Silk Road was named for the extensive trade in these fine materials. Due to China's size and history of successive wealthy dynasties, a vast amount of textile art is available for study today. Great tombs have yielded beautiful and dateable pieces worn and used by elite members of Chinese society. These and other fragile examples reside in museums and a few private collections. Other examples of antique Chinese textiles are found still to be in the marketplace. While it is impossible to look at these beautiful examples and not admire the skill of the weaver and embroiderer, until now there has been little information about their history or value. This comprehensive guide to collectible Chinese textiles with an extensive number of examples and with an understandable grading system that relates to what constitutes value. This book is beautifully illustrated with over 500 detailed photos of ceremonial court robes, badges, and decorative textiles dating from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) through the Ching dynasty, (1644-1911). It is designed for historians, Asian studies sholars, and textile collectors, from beginning to advanced, as a real-world representation of available pieces and an indepth study. It is a must for appraisers and connoisseurs alike.

The motifs and design elements of lighting, furnishings, and everyday household implements have long served as teachers, offering clues and insight into the lives of the people who created and owned them. Here is a comprehensive tour of figured coverlets made between 1817 and 1869. These antique woven bedcovers, with their graphic and colorful images of trains, animals, buildings, heroes and patriotic symbols, provide a wonderful and perhaps unique snapshot of the bright optimism that was the 19th-century spirit of America. Over 100 coverlets are shown in full, in color, and on both sides. They include many early and rare pieces, offering an unprecedented reference on the subject. Nearly all are dated and/or identified, and represent all the major coverlet producing states.

Art takes many forms. In this selection of Asian court attire, dating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the phrase "you are what you wear" resonates. Vollmer journeys back to the thirteenth-century Chinese Empire, where ancestors of the ruling Manchu conquerors dressed fittingly. These exquisite costumes remind us that royalty once set fashion standards the way that celebrities do today, but that these garments also promoted distinct national and political messages that helped keep a ruling minority in power for nearly three centuries. Dressed to Rule is a guide to the exhibit, of the same name, that appeared at the University of Alberta in 2007.

Meticulously embroidered pictures that could be framed and displayed formed a part of a girl's education through the Goergian period in Britain (1714-1830). This book shows the variety of subjects and techniques and also glances at the work produced in American schools. As well as schoolgirls, outstanding women like Miss Morritt, Mrs Knowles and Miss Linwood produced large embroidered pictures to simulate paintings, greatly admired at the time, but now totally neglected. Pictorial needlework also adored upholstery, chair seats, screens and wallhangings. This book will be a useful handbook for collectors, museum curators and antique dealers, and an inspiration to the modern needlewoman.

Housed in the former sixteenth-century convent of Santo Domingo Church, now the Regional Museum of Oaxaco, Mexico, is an important collection of textiles representing the area's indigenous cultures. The collection includes a wealth of exquisitely made traditional weavings, many now considered rare. This book details a joint project of the Getty Conservation Institute and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico to conserve the collection. The book contains 145 color photographs as well as a wealth of information on weaving, cultural contexts, and conservation issues.