Customer Reviews

Ottoman Embroidery

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Strong concurrence with Lilinah's review. The strength of this book is its photos. Unfortunately, the text has many inaccuracies. The author is not a scholarly researcher and much of his information is flat out wrong. He often says things were "always" or "never" done when a quick browse through other collections shows many examples to the contrary. This applies to his information on style, materials, and techniques. He may be an embroidery collector and a contributor to a textile magazine but the information in this book does not show evidence of in depth expertise in textiles or fiber. Familiarity, yes; expertise, no.

Since there are so many mistakes in his embroidery information, the parts dealing with Ottoman history and culture fall under a pall of suspicion as well. MUCH better book choices are Ottoman Embroidery by Ellis and Wearden and Flowers of Silk and Gold by Krody, both of which have excellent photos as well as solid text. Use Taylor's book for the photos but cross check the textual content.

Taylor may be a well-educated man and extensive collector of Ottoman embroidery. But while the volume appears to be scholarly and well researched in its approach, it isn't. Unfortunately his discussions of fibers, fabrics, clothing, and embroidery techniques leave much to be desired. Taylor makes many sweeping statements about the whole of the Ottoman Empire, when the information actually pertains only to a narrow and limited period. He is clearly ill informed about Ottoman clothing, making claims for over 400 years that apply only to the 19th century. His information about the history of the fibers and weaving techniques are sketchy at best and inaccurate at worst. The two chapters Islamic Style and Infidel Style are frustrating in that they introduce interesting and valuable topics then give them both short shrift.

The photographs are beautiful, but there is more detailed and accurate information on historical, social, and cultural context, on textile history and techniques, and on embroidery techniques in the books by Sumru Krody (Flowers of Silk and Gold , from the Textile Museum) and by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (also titled Ottoman Embroidery, from the Victoria and Albert Museum)