Customer Reviews

Textiles: 5000 Years

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Harris' survey on Textiles has been a publishing hit since it first appeared in this hardback editon in 1993. And this is notable in a field full of beautiful books with beautiful pictures of beautiful textiles.

I believe the success of this book is that it actually delivers on its promise of providing encyclopedic information, with illustrations, of the entire history of textiles from ancient times. Harris and her many contributors offer both breadth and depth here. And, happily, the text serves the illustrations and the illustrations serve the text. One can cruise through the book finding inspiration and delight or one can dig in and actually study an aspect in the history of the culture of textiles.

Book details: large format chunky hardback, red cloth over boards with a sewn binding. In dustjacket. 3.75 pounnds. 320 pp. Something like 400 color illustrations.

Index, Glossary, 6 pp of bibliographic information.

Editor Jennifer Harris at the time of publication, Deputy Director and Curator of Textiles at the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, England.

To describe this book would take a book. It covers different textiles from ancient societies to present day. There are twenty-four experts that describe not only techniques but the meaning of the art in each culture. My favorite section is the first chapter that shows different types of looms. I was a little disappointed not to find any drafts; however the book is concentrating on culture.

This book also has a list of further reading and an extensive glossary.

The color plates alone are worth the purchase price.