English hunt scene from Huber c.1720
Elizabeth Wayland Barber When I began my journey through textile history I quickly realized there were several paths one could take. I could see the advantage in specializing in one particular area such as costume, or one particular period of time, such as medieval textiles. For me, the problem with that approach is that you then sacrifice the overall picture of how everything (history, culture, economics, climate…everything) interacts. Sort of not seeing the forest. I felt I would be better served with an overall study, if, then, later I could specialize. Following the example of art history where one is introduced to art from prehistoric to contemporary ( sort of Art History 101). I began categorizing my research into time periods, each of which was subdivided . I have to confess I continued to collect information on any aspect of textile history, attending any workshops and lectures, classes and museum exhibits that I could find. Slowly, I was able to make some organization of all the materials and now I can file information and actually find relevant material for lectures etc. Starting with my Textile History 101, I found the works of Elizabeth Wayland Barber, a professor of linguistics and archeology. Her work with prehistoric and early textiles is so very impressive and her reference books provide information that is easily understood, despite their academic format. Valuable sections of bibliographies, notes and lists of additional readings allow further research, if necessary. I have turned to her expertise time and again over the years. I have been fortunate to have attended several lectures by Ms Barber. She is an energetic, knowledgeable, and great speaker and I thank her for contributing to my foundation of textile studies. Prehistoric Textiles: The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, E. W. Barber, Princeton University press, 1991 Women's Work : The First 20,000 Years, E. W. Barber, W.W. Norton & Co., NY, 1994 The Mummies of Urumchi, E. W. Barber, W.W. Norton & Co., NY,1999 Other works by E/W.B.: World Textiles When They Severed the Earth from the Sky The Dancing Goddesses Resplendent Dress from Southeastern Europe
Welcome to the fifth installment of ‘Early Medieval (mostly) Textiles’. This month Christina Petty discusses weaving 2/1 (unbalanced) twill weaves on warp-weighted looms: the evidence, the problems and her experimental archaeological approach to the weaving process. Chris’s passion for textiles started at the age eight. Today she is primarily a weaver, spinner and dyer, but…
Presenting a small online exhibition of palimpsest textiles - with layers of art, craft and culture contained within: The Canton Shawl aka Manila Manton aka Fringed Flapper Shawl
An illustrated paper on the evolution of textiles and costumes in ancient India.
This ivory taffeta gown with black velvet embossed flowers was worn between 1900-1907 and is a striking example of ball gowns from the first decade of the century. Unfortunately our museum records do not indicate the owner or donor of this gown. Fashion at the turn of the century was dictated by the introduction of […]
Vintage Textile Show July 2012
Often inscribed with the rulers’ names, as well as with dates and sites of production, these textiles provide a window into the political and religious life of early Islam.
Couleur ◈ Design ◈ Emotion ◈ Lumière
2/16/2011: History of Textile Design : Later Medieval 12th – 15th c.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents Cairo under Wraps: Early Islamic Textiles, on view until 25 January 2015, features nearly 80 rare fabrics.
