World Textiles: A Concise History

The history of textiles, more than that of any other artifact, is the history of human ingenuity.

From the earliest needles of 25,000 years ago to techno textiles used in Space Shuttle parachutes today, textiles have been fundamental to human existence and achievements, and have informed developments in other areas from agriculture to metallurgy. Textiles are global commodities, common to every culture and for a long time the motivation for trade, the exchange of ideas, and sometimes even conflict. Silks from China, carpets from Persia, ikats from Indonesia, cottons from India, fine linens from Flanders—each of these has helped to shape the modern world. This groundbreaking book surveys, from prehistory to the early twenty-first century, how textiles 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. The author shows the intricate relationships between different cultures' textile traditions and demonstrates the significance of the materials we all take for granted in our everyday lives.

The history of textiles, more than that of any other artifact, is the history of human ingenuity.

Library Journal

These two surveys range widely in their coverage of textile arts, which continue to gain ground in both scholarship and popular awareness. In her first book, London designer Cole primarily offers a visual tour. The organization, which works through a general geographic and then chronological arrangement, seems a bit awkward and strained. The page layout is stylish, however, and the colorful illustrations of patterns create a book with a lot of eye appeal. The text mainly consists of captions for each illustration, with a very short introduction for each chapter pulling the themes together. Aimed at lay readers, this book is more comprehensive than Susan Meller and Joost Elffers's Textile Designs, which is nevertheless better organized. Public or academic collections would benefit from having both. Renowned textiles expert and author Schoeser (International Textile Design) has crafted a compact history of textiles for Thames & Hudson's paperback "World of Art" series. Arranged roughly into chronological periods, the book meticulously details technique, materials, and designs and puts them in historical and cultural context. This is truly a fantastic history of textile arts. The pictures are a bit disappointing, smallish and sometimes in black and white. But the text itself is a delight to read and more comprehensive than in other comparable works, such as Textiles: 5,000 Years, edited by Jennifer Harris. Whereas Harris's book is much more visually stunning, Schoeser's is a definitive history, highly readable and intriguing. Highly recommended for all collections.-Karen Ellis, Nicholson Memorial Lib. Syst., Garland, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Mary Schoeser graduated from the University of California and has since worked as a textile curator and consultant for, among other institutions, the National Trust, English Heritage, Liberty of London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A respected writer on textiles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, she has contributed to numerous publications and has lectured widely. Her books include World Textiles and Sanderson: The Essence of English Decoration. She lives in England.