This wonderfully illustrated volume presents over 50 textiles and garments from the Textile Museum of Canada's collection of 19th and 20th century artifacts made in Japan for both everyday and occasional use. Luxurious silk and gold fabrics produced in Kyoto s professional weaving workshops are juxtaposed with domestic indigo-dyed cotton, plant-fibre cloth, and silk kimonos crafted in an astonishing spectrum of time-honored techniques - weaving, dyeing, hand painting, gold foil application and embroidery - that exemplify venerable social and cultural values. The authors discuss the highly refined skills and materials by which textiles have been constructed and decorated over centuries, and on how diligence and ingenuity have shaped their timeless beauty. The persistence of traditions seen in such rigorously executed textiles has come to embody the heart of Japanese aesthetics. Every material, color and technique has a story to tell. The publication also features the contemporary work of Hiroko Karuno and Keiko Shintani, two Japanese-Canadians whose consummate craftsmanship and philosophies are profoundly connected to the evolution of Japanese textile traditions of spinning, dyeing ... [Read More]

Featuring over 450 archival photographs and line drawings, Chinese Dress traces the evolution of Chinese clothing from court and formal costumes to the fashions of modern China. A comprehensive and sumptuously illustrated book, Chinese Dress is the essential reference for costume historians, fashion designers and collectors, as well as lovers of beautiful clothes everywhere. Chapters include:Dress of the Qing Manchu Rulers 1644-1911Dress of the Manchu Consorts 1644-1911Attire of Mandarins and MerchantsAttire of Chinese WomenRepublican Dress 1912-1949Clothing of the Lower ClassesClothing for ChildrenDress in New China 1950-2006From Imperial robes to foot binding to the cheongsam, Chinese Dress spotlights traditional Chinese dress against a background of historical, cultural and social change, opening a fascinating window for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of China, Chinese culture and Chinese fashion history.

“A valuable source of information and an inspiration for anyone interested in the decorative power of textiles.”―Antiques and the Arts Weekly No region has a textile tradition more vivid and romantic than that of Central Asia. This book provides an illustrated survey of these textiles, displaying in more than 200 color plates the opulent velvets, exquisite embroideries, magnificent felts, and fine cotton weaves produced throughout the area. Janet Harvey describes the decorative motifs, materials, dyes, and looms; the types of objects made and the diverse regional and tribal variations; clothes and costumes; and lavish embroideries and embellishments. A valuable source of information for designers and students, collectors and travelers, the book includes a glossary, a bibliography, and a list of collections. 212 color, 52 b&w illustrations

This book takes a fascinating journey, connecting dates and events to the evolution of costumes, textiles, colours, motifs and ornamentations from the eighteenth century up to present-day India.

A beautifully illustrated exploration of the textile traditions of a culturally diverse region, from the late eighteenth century to the present day, featuring works from the extraordinary textile collection at the British MuseumTextiles of the Middle East and Central Asia explores the significance and beauty of textiles from across the Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia. This vast region has been the focus of population movements, exploration, and trade for thousands of years and is home to a wealth of textile traditions. From the intricate embroidery on a Palestinian wedding dress to the complex iconography on an Afghan war rug, textiles reflect the beliefs, practices, and experiences of people from these lands.The book is arranged thematically with pieces grouped according to their purpose or meaning, enabling, for example, the comparison of domestic furnishings, wedding attire, and children’s garments from across the region. The book also includes contemporary works that grapple with modern political issues.The textiles featured include male and female garments, hats and headdresses, rugs and felts, children’s clothing, dolls, tent hangings, amulets and animal harnesses. ... [Read More]

From rugged Japanese firemen's ceremonial robes and austere rural work-wear to colorful, delicately-patterned cotton kimonos, this lavishly illustrated volume explores Japan's rich tradition of textiles.Textiles are an eloquent form of cultural expression and of great importance in the daily life of a people, as well as in their rituals and ceremonies. The traditional clothing and fabrics featured in this book were made and used in the islands of the Japanese archipelago between the late 18th and the mid 20th century. The Thomas Murray collection featured in this book includes daily dress, work-wear, and festival garb and follows the Arts and Crafts philosophy of the Mingei Movement, which saw that modernization would leave behind traditional art forms such as the hand-made textiles used by country people, farmers, and fisherman. It presents subtly patterned cotton fabrics, often indigo dyed from the main islands of Honshu and Kyushu, along with garments of the more remote islands: the graphic bark cloth, nettle fiber, and fish skin robes of the aboriginal Ainu in Hokkaido and Sakhalin to the north, and the brilliantly colored cotton kimonos of Okinawa to the far south. Numerous ex... [Read More]

For centuries, the ruling dynasties of India promoted the skills of spinners, weavers, dyers, printers and embroiderers, commissioning textiles from renowned centres of excellence across the subcontinent. Delicate muslins from Dacca, fine silk brocades from Varanasi, complex woollen weaves from Kashmir, intricate gold embroideries from Lahore - all were transformed into costumes fit for kings and courtiers. After years spent searching for the last surviving examples of traditional court clothing, designer Ritu Kumar has uncovered a wealth of costumes. Her book is a celebration of thousands of years of craft tradition and a testimony to the survival of the world's richest textile repertoire.

The first English-language survey of the intricate embroidery and colorful dyes of Banjara textiles, among the most dazzling produced in India The Banjara,­ an ethnic group composed of semi-nomadic tribes found throughout the Indian subcontinent , are renowned for their highly colorful textiles. Embellished with mirrors, shells, and intricate embroidery, Banjara work displays a surprisingly modern aesthetic. Created to showcase embroidery skill, protect the owner from harm, and channel auspicious powers, the Banjara technique is unique in India and is a celebration of the strength of the women who practice it.This is the first book devoted to the traditional clothing and embroidery of the Banjara, illuminating their long history and investigating their links with the European Roma. 160 color illustrations

Traditional culture is relevant to both the present and the future. This book provides an insight into the development of fashion, design and culture during the reign of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) in Korea. The traditional Korean wrapping cloths stand as a particular testimony to the creative talents of unknown Korean women. Each design is unique and of its time, yet many of the wrapping cloths also bring to mind images of modern abstract art. It is through their design that these objects can communicate with people from other cultures across time.