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Press release:
Embroidery has been
practiced for thousands of years, and the variety is
astonishing: gold-embroidered Chinese court insignia,
landscape-worked Japanese kimonos, Sumatran sarongs,
Indian saris, Afghan chain-stitched purses, Turkish
napkin borders, Ghanaian patchwork banners, Egyptian head
shawls, Moroccan cushion covers, Hungarian sheepskin
jerkins, Slovakian bed curtains, German folk dress, Dutch
bonnets, Breton coifs, Sicilian ecclesiastical cloths,
Spanish sleeves, North American Indian quillwork pouches,
Mexican blouses, Panamanian molas, Peruvian Nasca
textiles, and more.The book is organized into four main sections,
covering every aspect of embroidered textiles:
- Guide to
Identification: the key fabrics, materials,
stitches, motifs, and styles;
- The Decorative
Power of Cult: recurrent mythological
symbols, including Great Goddess figures, Trees
of Life, and symbols of the Hunt;
- Religion and
Its Patterns: the main symbols of all the
major religious and spiritual systems;
- The Magic of
Embroidery: protective and strengthening
devices rooted in ancient beliefs and
superstitions.
There are over 350
illustrations, including specially taken color
photographs, maps, line drawings, and a dictionary of
stitches. Complete with a glossary, a guide to textile
collections around the world, and advice on collecting
and conserving textiles, this comprehensive survey, now
in an enhanced format and completely revised, will be
invaluable to anyone interested in fashion, textiles,
crafts, and design.
Sheila Paine is a world
expert on tribal societies and textiles.
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