The Shining Cloth: Dress and Adornment That Glitters (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

''A hypnotic look at cultures around the world through the history of their textiles as well as their contemporary fashions, symbols, and ceremonial practices....This is a book for anyone who has ever coveted beautiful fabrics or lost his or her heart to a camel saddle or a spectacular Indian sari.''

Product Description

Embellishment with glittering substances is a worldwide and ancient practice. Traces of textiles and other artifacts embroidered and embellished with gold were depicted in Assyrian bas-reliefs, frozen in the tombs of the Scythian nomadic horsemen, unearthed with the treasures of the Pharaohs, and preserved in the burials of Andean cultures' high priests and nobles. Today these marvelous creations have gained an additional appeal beyond our fascination for lost and traditional civilizations--their visual verve makes them a fertile source of ideas in contemporary fashion and decoration. Victoria Rivers has spent more than a decade in the search for the most spectacular examples of a universally appealing phenomenon. Combining her artist's eye with an in-depth knowledge of textile techniques, she draws on an extraordinary array of specialist anthropological research from all over the world. Cloth may glitter or shine because of its own lustrous qualities, as is the case with silk, or with the help of special treatments and dyes. Materials such as metals, sequins, beads, or mirrors may be used to embellish fabrics as decoration or to attract or deflect spirits in unseen worlds. Gifts from nature can also be cleverly manipulated into shapes and pieces to simulate more precious materials: for example, the iridescent elytra of beetles reflect brilliant metallic greens and violets as if they were gems. Sumptuously illustrated and superbly designed, this odyssey through the world's cultures will captivate those concerned with contemporary fashion and textile history as well as anyone interested in symbol and ritual in traditional societies.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500019517
• ISBN-13: 978-0500019511
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,324,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Amazed at Shining Cloth, January 15, 2002

By	Elaine Corn (Carmichael, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A hobbyist's interest in textiles, sewing and garb drew me into the mysterious worlds presented in this fascinating and unique book. I am not a textiles professional, but I am able to appreciate it in many forms, whether tribal or ethnic, European, or the latest molecular likeness from DuPont. Dismissed by some as a "coffee table" book, The Shining Cloth actually is on my coffee table, where it has lain since its publication. Friends leaf through its wondrous pages, the unknown surfacing in unfathomable meaning from weave, creative decorations, the illustrious imagination that calls on a feather, a gold thread, some beads, and yes, a reflective dot, as a kind of speechless communication. I learned from The Shining Cloth of the metals used for reflection before the advent of the common mirror. Indigo and various dye from nature created signature fabric and design. Such explanations have parallels in my specialty -- food -- that is, people everywhere survive in ingenious ways. Tribal peoples continue even today an unshakeable superstitious dread of what their ancestors called the "evil eye." That their strategy for security could be the armour formed by the industrious and loving construction of a sparkling piece of clothing might have softened a terrifying life or added beauty to a bleak one. The entire subject begs inquiry and demands respect. Ms. Rivers' research certainly got my attention.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Shining Cloth" sparkles!, August 23, 2001

By A Customer

I must take to task the two very mean-spirited reviews of Victoria Z. Rivers book, "The Shining Cloth." I am not a European antique dealer, nor am I a textile historian  perhaps those two reviewers will find enough fire within themselves to publish what they want, expect, or need . . . yet another book on European textiles? What I am is a lover of textiles. I love to look at them; I love to feel them; I love their beauty. And I love the fact that textiles have permeated cultures throughout time  a timeless connection between then and now.

"The Shining Cloth" is not a stuffy textbook yawn that puts people to sleep. Even children would love the photographs and delight in discovering how the objects were used. The book is visually stunning, with careful examples of Ms. Rivers choosing. It is one authors viewpoint. It is not a book that attempts to tell everything that ever was about every fabric that ever had a reflective surface  thankfully! Who needs a book that weighs a ton that costs a fortune? Hey, the whole family can enjoy this one  and at Amazons price point at..., its a bargain!

31 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning pictures of spectular adornment, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This beautiful book is filled with stunning pictures from aroung the world. The author has presented a world tour of fabrics and adornments. As someone who is not involved in the fashion industry or textiles, I still found the book hard to put down as I turned each page. It is a book that leaves one in awe of the various cultures that make up the human race.