Textiles: The Whole Story
26.00 x 20.00 cm
380 Illustrations, 3181 in colour
First published 2011
There are few aspects of our lives in which fabrics do not play a part and the author reminds us powerfully of the significance of fabrics throughout human history. Her expertise is enriched by her own hands-on experience: spinning silk from silkworm cocoons, weaving cloth and creating natural dyes. As a curator she has studied thousands of textiles.
Bridging past and present – from the Stone Age to 21st-century ‘smart fabrics' which can regulate body temperature or measure the wearer's pulse – the book integrates craft, art, science, history and anthropology, drawing on examples from around the globe.
Here are topics such as the universality of textiles in human language and experience; their social role in bonding families and communities; the importance of textiles in world trade; their spiritual and sacred aspects; and the work of artists using textiles as their medium.
A dazzling array of illustrations includes paintings and photographs of both historic and contemporary textiles and a broad collection of textiles being created, worn and lived with.