Carpets, rugs and textiles Books
Thames & Hudson Ltd PreIslamic Carpets and Textiles from Eastern
Book SynopsisCelebrates the earliest history of the Islamic world's great textile traditions through fifty beautiful carpets and fragments. A wave of these beautiful textiles has reached the West since the turn of the 21st century, and here they are divided into variants featuring birds, mammals, and mythological creatures, which retain their glowing colors and lively charm.Trade Review'The long awaited work is finally here ... fills substantial gaps in the early history of knotted rugs' - Carpet Collector
£16.96
ACC Art Books Stephen Ellcocks Book of Textiles
Book SynopsisStephen Ellcock''s Book of Textiles is a unique collaboration between bestselling author Stephen Ellcock and textile expert Karun Thakar. Together, they share an inspiring vision of the world through the medium of textiles, leading the reader on a journey into the splendours of nature and the infinite complexities of the human condition.A social-media sensation, Ellcock is widely known for his online curation of artworks, while Thakar owns one of the world's most important and varied textile collections. Through a spellbinding selection of more than 200 of the most significant, extraordinary and distinctive pieces in Thakar's collection, these pages cover everything from fashion, costume and adornment to pattern and design, rituals and magic, pure abstraction and the sublime.Combining Ellcock's singular vision with Thakar's expert eye, Stephen Ellcock''s Book of Textiles is a ground-breaking compendium of wonders and
£21.25
Hali Publications Ltd Central Asian Textiles
Book SynopsisFor thousands of years, the peoples of Central Asia have created spectacular textiles for every aspect of life. Infinite care, resources and time have gone into making elaborate costumes (connoting the wearer's identity and place in society), equestrian items, and exquisite furnishings for settled as well as nomadic lifestyles. Items of dress were decorated literally from top to toe: boots were embroidered with metal thread, while hats were stitched, appliquéd and felted. The women of a family would come together to embroider dazzling suzanis to form part of a bride's dowry; master dyers and weavers would craft vibrant ikat hangings. Combined, these objects tell an evocative story of life along the Silk Road in times past.This book brings together outstanding textiles from the Neville Kingston Collection, featuring many previously unpublished pieces. It is the second volume to document this exceptional English collection;Turkmen Carpets: The Neville Kingston Collectionwas published in 2016.
£45.00
Dover Publications Inc. 59 Authentic TurnOfTheCentury Fashion Patterns
Book Synopsis
£16.12
Thames & Hudson Ltd 20thCentury Fashion in Detail Victoria and Albert
Book SynopsisA unique insight into high-end 20th-century fashion explored through sumptuous detail photography of some of the most luxurious garments in the V&A's collections, alongside precise line drawings and an authoritative text.Table of ContentsIntroduction • List of Designers • 1. Seams • 2. Gathers, Tucks and Pleats • 3. Collars, Cuffs and Pockets • 4. Fastenings • 5. Bows • 6. Beads and Sequins • 7. Applied Decoration
£21.25
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Carpet Diem
Book Synopsis
£23.80
Orion Publishing Co Threads of Empire
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd The Art of Tapestry
Book SynopsisExtensively illustrated, this is the first accessible publication on the history of tapestry in over two decades. Woven with dazzling images from history, mythology and the natural world, and breath-taking in their craftsmanship, tapestries were among the most valuable and high-status works of art available in Europe from the medieval period to the end of the eighteenth century. Over 600 historic examples hang in National Trust properties in England and Wales – the largest collection in the UK. This beautifully illustrated study by tapestry expert Helen Wyld, in association with the National Trust, offers new insights into these works, from the complex themes embedded in their imagery, to long-forgotten practices of sacred significance and ritual use. The range of historical, mythological and pastoral themes that recur across the centuries is explored, while the importance of the ‘revival’ of tapestry from the late nineteenth century is considered in detail for the first time. Although focussed on the National Trust’s collection, this book offers a fresh perspective on the history of tapestry across Europe. Both the tapestry specialist and the keen art-history enthusiast can find a wealth of information here about woven wall hangings and furnishings, including methods of production, purchase and distribution, evolving techniques and technologies, the changing trends of subject matter across time, and how tapestries have been collected, used and displayed in British country houses across the centuries.Trade ReviewExamines the subject in technical and art historical terms and is profusely illustrated with images that convey the diversity and appeal of these remarkable - and sometimes undervalued - works of art. * Country Life *The book will be enlightening for any country-house buff and decorator who wants to know more about the historic tapestries they encounter in English country houses. It will also be an essential reference for historians of English visual culture, providing a fascinating account of the rise and fall and rise again of tapestry as an art form in its own right and as a medium of traditional splendour. -- Tom Campbell, Director of the Fine Art Museum of San FranciscoThis beautifully illustrated book looks at how tapestries were made, how they were used as political tools and how they came into and out of fashion. [...] it’s a fascinating look at an art form that doesn’t get the same attention as paintings. -- Tabish Khan * FAD Magazine *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Tapestry Technique I: Art and Industry II: Ritual and Presence III: The Woven Image IV: Tapestry and History Appendix: Makers' Marks Notes Bibliography Picture Credits Index
£36.00
Brandeis University Press The Book of Looms – A History of the Handloom
Book SynopsisA heavily illustrated classic on the evolution of the handloom. The handloom—often no more than a bundle of sticks and a few lengths of cordage—has been known to almost all cultures for thousands of years. Eric Broudy places the wide variety of handlooms in their historical context. What influenced their development? How did they travel from one geographic area to another? Were they invented independently by different cultures? How have modern cultures improved on ancient weaving skills and methods? Broudy shows how virtually every culture has woven on handlooms. He highlights the incredible technical achievement of early cultures that created magnificent textiles with the crudest of tools and demonstrates that modern technology has done nothing to surpass their skill or inventiveness. Trade Review“Broudy extracts his evidence from such unlikely places as Egyptian tombs to the unearthed ruins of a ninth century Viking ship in Norway. . . . In this awesome feat of research, recounted with storytelling expertise, he traces the growth of weaving from simple matting and wickerwork basketry to the massive tapestry (haute-lisse) looms of the Gobelin workshop of Paris and the silk-producing izaribata looms of China. . . . If you are a weaver by profession or hobby, this book will make you proud of it, and, if you have never touched a loom and are thinking of a new career, this book will, once you tear yourself away from it, send you spinning off to the yarn store.” * Goodfellow Review of Craft *“If you are also fascinated by the historical and cultural aspects of weaving, this book should find a place in your library.” * Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers *Table of ContentsIntroduction, 1. Origins, 2. The Warp-weighted Loom, 3. The Two-bar Loom, 4. Pueblo and Navajo Looms, 5. The Backstrap and Other Primitive Looms, 6. The Treadle Loom, 7. The Drawloom, 8. The Modern Loom, Bibliography, Index
£25.20
Dover Publications Inc. Glamorous Fashions of the Gilded Age Paper Dolls
Book SynopsisThis stunning collectible features four costumed dolls ? two women and two men ? and more than two dozen richly detailed original outfits inspired by the preeminent House of Worth and other notable designers of luxury clothing. The costumes accurately depict the lavish dresses and suits worn throughout the glamorous Gilded Age, which dates from the late 1860s to the late 1890s. A full-color background scene appears on the inside covers.
£8.07
Thames & Hudson Ltd The Indian Textile Sourcebook
Book SynopsisAn invaluable sourcebook of Indian textile patterns, organized by pattern type and explored by technique, and covering every region.Trade Review'Expertly shows how Indian patterns have changed and evolved up to the present day ... a valuable resource' - Selvedge'Brilliant … a feast for the eyes' - House and GardenTable of ContentsIntroduction • Floral • Figurative • Abstract and Geometric
£28.00
Editions Flammarion Pierre Frey: Textiles, Wallpapers, Carpets, and
Book Synopsis
£52.00
Prestel Textiles of China and Central Asia
Book SynopsisThis stunning exploration of Chinese and Central Asian textiles draws from one of the world's major collections. In private hands, it features objects never before published and of a caliber customarily only seen in museums. A captivating journey through the rich tapestry of Asian history, this beautiful and informative book delves into the opulent world of historic textiles. Covering a period when decorative textiles were the ultimate luxury, it showcases the craftsmanship, cultural significance, and artistic expressions woven into each cloth. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Silk Road and the exchange of ideas, goods, and techniques that fueled the flourishing textile industry across Asia over centuries, from the Byzantine Empire to the Tang and Song dynasties and beyond. A series of engaging essays highlights the significant features of the N2H collection-exploring the samites of Central Asia with their luxurious silk and intricately woven animal and geometric patterns; studying the exquisite embroideries of the Liao dynasty up close; and examining the imperial textiles of the Ming and Qing dynasties, when power and prestige were expressed through sumptuous court costume. Perfect for art lovers, historians, and all those captivated by the beauty of textiles, this impeccably packaged volume unravels the fascinating stories embedded in the fabric of ancient Asia.
£66.75
Prestel Textiles of Japan: The Thomas Murray Collection
Book SynopsisFrom 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 examples of these fabrics, photographed in exquisite detail, offer insight into Japan's complex textile history as well as inspiration for today's designers and artists. This volume explores the range and artistry of the country's tradition of fiber arts and is an essential resource for anyone captivated by the Japanese aesthetic.
£63.75
Conker Editions Ltd Old Gold and Black
Book Synopsis
£17.28
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Linen
Book Synopsis
£41.39
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Guide to Kimono
Book Synopsis
£23.79
Ohio University Press A Stitch in Time
Book SynopsisDrawing from 167 examples of decorative needleworkprimarily samplers and quilts from 114 collections across the United Statesmade by individual women aged forty years and over between 1820 and 1860, this exquisitely illustrated book explores how women experienced social and cultural change in antebellum America.TheTrade Review“A welcome contribution to available literature on American nineteenth-century needlework…Her careful review of existing anthropological, historical and needlework literature coupled with a thoughtful analyses of the existing quilts and samplers that formed the core of her study has shown that women’s needlework can help us to better understand the lives and times of the women who made them.” * Textile History *“I highly recommend this newly published look at a previously neglected aspect of sampler and stitching history… well-researched, with many full page color images of the stitched pieces and the women who created them.” * Swan Sampler Guild Gazette *“The book looks at a field of study that many would think has been well covered from a completely new angle, focusing on older makers rather than styles, fashion, or the education of girls.… [It] brings together anthropological, sociological, and psychological work with decorative arts and straight history.”“This outstanding book is a major contribution to material-culture scholarship. The in-depth analysis of samplers, quilts, and textile arts created by aging women in antebellum America reveals how they used needlework as a key tool to visually express their deep feelings and values. Each chapter explores a theme and is full of personal details, beautiful illustrations, and rich evidence that supports the author’s findings. I believe today’s readers will find meaningful connections across time and space.”“Aimee Newell has produced an extraordinarily rich piece of scholarship that, for once, appropriately and thoughtfully plays on a ubiquitous proverbial phrase. Cutting across many boundaries, A Stitch In Time identifies a large body of needlework made by older women and contextualizes it within the disciplines of history, material culture and anthropology. Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched, this important work enhances our understanding of the cultural value of needlework to the women who made it, to the families who preserved it, and to the scholars, collectors and stitchers who appreciate it today.”“A combination of beautiful illustrations and historical insights related to fabric choices, machine stitching, fading eyesight, and family relationships; a great read for understanding aged women who are inspired to quilt.” * Irish People, Irish Linen *“[Newell] delivers a highly organized read with an approachable prose style. This work could be used as a first introduction to American domestic textile crafts, especially considering its copious, full-page, color illustrations of artifacts and portraits of their makers. Still, A Stitch in Time adds significantly to literature on the motivations and uses of needlework performed by older women. Newell makes a substantial contribution in expanding the history of a generation that holds much fascination for scholars of the early Republic, but is not often studied in its elder years.” * Art Libraries Society of North America *“By studying aging women and their sewing, Newell fills an important gap in the scholarship on samplers in which young girls and their works are typically studied and on quilts in which the stitched piece itself is usually the focus rather than the stitcher…. This valuable book offers important insights on aging antebellum needlewomen in America and should be of great interest to scholars in such diverse disciplines as museum studies, textile studies, anthropology, art history, cultural studies, literary studies, material culture studies, and rhetorical studies.” * Museum Anthropology Review *“Meticulously researched and thoughtful…. Newell crafts her narrative around the relationship between aging and fiber arts through scrupulously documented case studies that lend her effort compelling immediacy. Even as she rehearses established scholarship, Newell breaks new ground with her emphasis on needlework as an embodied practice deeply implicated in multiple contextual shifts ranging from physical aging to the introduction of new technologies and new forms of middle-class sociability. Summing up: Highly recommended.” * CHOICE *“Previous studies of samplers focused on schoolgirl work, but Newell wanted to know what women did when they were older…. Newell details individual lives fully so that the makers emerge as real people…. The scholarship is impeccable, and many of the details are compelling.” * Winterthur Portfolio *Table of Contents* Acknowledgments * Introduction * Chapter 1 The Physical Challenges of Needlework * Chapter 2 Growing Old Gracefully * Chapter 3 The Technological Reshaping of Antebellum Needlework * Chapter 4 I Give and Bequeath This Quilt: Needlework as Property * Chapter 5 Family Currency: The Gift Needlework of Aging Women * Chapter 6 Biographical Needlework: Telling a Life Story * Chapter 7 Threads of Life: Needlework as Memorial * Conclusion * Appendix: Decorative Needlework Made by Women Forty or Over between 1820 and 1860 * Notes * Bibliography * Index
£23.99
LEGARE STREET PR Primary Sources Historical Collections Oriental
Book Synopsis
£29.66
The Hopkins Costume Trust Shawls
Book Synopsis
£36.00
Boydell & Brewer Ltd Textiles, Text, Intertext: Essays in Honour of
Book SynopsisEssays centred round the representation of weaving, both real and imagined, in the early middle ages. The triple themes of textile, text, and intertext, three powerful and evocative subjects within both Anglo-Saxon studies and Old English literature itself, run through the essays collected here. Chapters evoke the semantic complexities of textile references and images drawn from the Bayeux Tapestry, examine parallels in word-woven poetics, riddling texts, and interwoven homiletic and historical prose, and identify iconographical textures in medieval art. The volume thus considers the images and creative strategies of textiles, texts, and intertexts, generating a complex and fascinating view of the material culture and metaphorical landscape of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. It is therefore a particularly fitting tribute to Professor Gale R. Owen-Crocker, whose career and lengthy list of scholarly works have centred on her interests in the meaning and cultural importance of textiles, manuscripts and text, and intertextual relationships between text and textile. MAREN CLEGG HYER is Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of English at Valdosta State University; JILL FREDERICK is Professor of English at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Contributors: Marilina Cesario, Elizabeth Coatsworth, Martin Foys, Jill Frederick, Joyce Hill, Maren Clegg Hyer, Catherine E. Karkov, Christina Lee, Michael Lewis, Robin Netherton, Carol Neuman de Vegvar, Donald Scragg, Louise Sylvester, Paul Szarmach, Elaine Treharne.Trade ReviewOwen-Crocker is held in high esteem and affection by scholars and researchers in many fields and . . . her enthusiasm and encouragement have inspired researchers both within and outside traditional academia. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *Table of ContentsIntroduction - Maren Clegg Hyer A Personal Recollection - Robin Netherton List of Publications of Gale R. Owen Crocker The Language of Dress and Textiles in Wills of the Old English Period - Louise Sylvester Opus what? The Textual History of Medieval Embroidery Terms and Their Relationship to the Surviving Embroideries c. 800-1400 - Elizabeth Coatsworth Intertextuality in the Bayeux Tapestry: The Form and Function of Dress and Clothing - Michael Lewis Birds of a Feather: Magpies in the Bayeux Tapestry? - Carol Neuman de Vegvar Threads and Needles: The Use of Textiles for Medical Purposes - Christina Lee Text, Textile, Context: Aldhelm and Word-weaving as Metaphor in Old English and Anglo-Latin Literature - Maren Clegg Hyer The Weft of War in the Exeter Book Riddles - Jill Frederick Fyrene dracan in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - Marilina Cesario Old English in the Margins - Donald G Scragg Weaving Words on the Ruthwell Cross - Catherine E. Karkov Fates of the Apostles and Tituli - Paul E Szarmach Weaving and Interweaving: The Textual Traditions of Two of Ælfric's Supplementary Homilies - Joyce Hill Invisible Things in London, British Library, Cotton Vitellius A. xv - Elaine Treharne Redacting Harold Godwinson: the Vita Haroldi and William of Malmesbury - Martin Foys
£80.00
Hali Publications Ltd Pull of the Thread: Textile Travels of a
Book SynopsisSheila Fruman, fascinated by the textiles and handmade carpets she saw when she travelled overland in 1969 from Turkey to India, tells the stories of nine intrepid adventurers who have combed the streets and bazaars of Central and South Asia finding, researching, collecting and selling antique Kashmir shawls, embroidered Uzbek textiles and robes, Anatolian kilims, Turkmen carpets and many other textile treasures to interested Westerners. These stories capture the post-World War II era’s free spirit that briefly coincided with economic prosperity and open borders. With over 200 colour illustrations, the book shows how the indigenous designs and motifs popularised in the US and Europe by these textile travellers can now be found in anything from haute couture to high-end interior design to mass-marketed bedding, tableware and clothing. The dealers and collectors who have spent their lives seeking these complex pieces of the past have intriguing stories to tell and collections of some of the finest textiles of their kind in the world. Taken together, their stories are an enlightening guide to understanding how we connect to the past, and how textiles connect the world.Table of ContentsIntroduction Andy Hale Pip Rau Joss Graham Elizabeth Hewitt John Gillow Kate Fitz Gibbon Susan Gomersall Steven J Cohen Frank Ames Interiors Context and Legacy
£29.75
English Heritage Pests in Houses Great and Small: Identification,
Book SynopsisThis new handbook provides a full but concise guide to the key pest species that commonly infest historic houses, and solutions for dealing with them. It enables readers to spot signs of pest infestation, identify the pests responsible, suggest strategies for the removal of the pest and treatment options for infested items and structures, and give clear guidance on long-term strategies to prevent pests from returning. The book is in two main sections: a handy identification section with large, close-up photographs which provides an overview of the environmental conditions where each pest species is likely to flourish, the damage caused and strategies for prevention and treatment and a more detailed pest management section with comprehensive advice about the main ways to prevent infestation as well as appropriate treatment methods.
£13.49
Martingale & Company American Quilt Treasures: Historic Quilts from
Book Synopsis
£31.49
Taylor & Francis Ltd A Practical Guide to Costume Mounting
Book SynopsisThe effective preparation of garments for display is essential for exhibitions of contemporary and historical dress. Costumes not only need to be visually appealing but also fully supported and historically accurate. This book provides a comprehensive guide to mounting costumes from the eighteenth century to the present day. It includes methods for adapting and shaping figures to create historical silhouettes, constructing underpinnings and making replicas and toiles using inexpensive and simple techniques. A Practical Guide to Costume Mounting is an invaluable resource for conservators, historians and all those working with clothing in museums, private collections and throughout the fashion and theatre industries.Trained as a historical costume maker, author Lara Flecker is the textile display specialist at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. She has worked extensively with the museum's world-class costume collection, preparing garments for display. Her simpleTable of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Handling, dressing and conservation issues; Taking patterns and making toiles; Selecting and modifying mannequins and dress stands; Padding up the torso; Designing and making underpinnings; Trouble shooting ; Alternative methods for mounting costumes; Appendix - Basic sewing techniques; Bibliography; Suppliers list (UK and US); Glossary ; Index
£90.24
Globe Pequot How the West Was Worn Bustles and Buckskins on
Book SynopsisTable of Contents(1) Dressing for a Gold Rush (2) Civilized Style in the Wild (3) Dressing for a Roundup (4) Sons and Daughters of the Trail (5) Prairie Styles (6) A Lasting Effect (7) All Dressed Up (8) Under the Clothes (9) Style in the Ranks (10) Borrowed from the Land (11) Suggested Reading
£12.99
Ross Books Beginners Guide to Oriental Rugs 2nd Edition
£14.82
LEGARE STREET PR Loan Exhibition Of Oriental Rugs From The Collection Of James F. Ballard Of St. Louis Mo
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£22.75
Legare Street Press Silk
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£25.60
Legare Street Press Oriental art in American Rugs ..
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.80
Legare Street Press Catalogue of Textiles From BuryingGrounds in Egypt Volume 3
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£23.70
Legare Street Press Catalogue no. 8
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£25.60
Legare Street Press Primary Sources Historical Collections
£22.75
Creative Media Partners, LLC Rugs
£24.65
£11.39
Echo Point Books & Media Tribal Rugs: A Complete Guide to Nomadic and Village Carpets
£39.95
Echo Point Books & Media Tribal Rugs: A Complete Guide to Nomadic and Cillage Carpets
£33.95
Independently Published Inteligencia Emocional: Desatando Los Poderes Ocultos de la Inteligencia Emocional Para Alcanzar M
£10.66
£15.19
Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp The Story of Feedsack Fabric
£18.99
Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Elegant Fashion Paper Dolls
Book Synopsis
£14.11
Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Dollys and Friends Originals Fashion History
Book Synopsis
£13.99
Independently Published Dollys and Friends Originals Christmas Gowns Paper Dolls
£13.99
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc Traditional Palestinian Costume
£143.19
Skira Art Carpets: Cleto Munari and Friends
Book SynopsisThe first book to exclusively present Cleto Munari’s latest creations in the field of the applied arts: a unique collection of art carpets. Cleto Munari was born in Gorizia and he lives and works in Vicenza. After meeting Carlo Scarpa in 1973, who encouraged him in his work, he decided to focus his attention on the area of industrial design, and began to work for some of the most important companies in the world. Constantly in search of original ideas, over the years he has tirelessly been engaged in analyzing and experimenting with both forms and material. In 1985 he opened a laboratory-studio-jeweler’s, where, together with a group of worldclass architects, he designs and produces silver jewelry and other objects for avant-garde collections that truly represent historical revolutions in jewelry both in Italy and abroad, and have also led to the production of watches, pens and furniture. Cleto Munari’s objects have entered the permanent collections of some of the world’s top museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This book is the first to exclusively present Cleto Munari’s latest creations in the field of the applied arts. After his jewelery, silverware, watches and furnishings, the great designer has involved ten other designers and artists in the creation of a unique collection of art carpets. Signed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dario Fo, Mario Botta, Alessandro Mendini, Javier Mariscal, Ettore Mochetti, Deisa Centazzo, Sandro Chia, Mimmo Paladino and by Cleto Munari himself, these creations are full-fledged works of art and represent the high point of the skills and expertise of one of the greatest creative designers in the world, who has been designing and producing for over forty years.
£29.71
Gooseberry Patch Shaker Fancy Goods
Book SynopsisShaker Fancy Goods tells the story of the Shaker Sisters of the nineteenth and early twentieth century who responded to the economic perils of the Industrial Revolution by inventing a lucrative industry of their own—Fancy Goods, a Victorian term for small adorned household objects made by women for women. Thanks to their work ethic, business savvy, and creativity, the tireless Shaker Sisters turned a seemingly modest trade into the economic engine that sustained their communal way of life, just as the men were abandoning the sect for worldly employment. Relying on journals and church family records that give voice to the plainspoken accounts of the sisters themselves, the book traces the work they did to establish their principal revenue streams, from designing the products, to producing them by hand (and later by machine, when they could do so without compromising quality) to bringing their handcrafts to market. Photographs, painstakingly gathered over years of research from museums and private collections, present the best examples of these fancy goods. Fancy goods include the most modest and domestic of items, like the pen wipes that the Sisters shaped into objects such as dolls, mittens, and flowers; or the emeries, pincushions, and needle books lovingly made back in an era when more than a minimal competency in sewing was expected in women; to more substantial purchases like the Dorothy cloaks that were in demand among fashionable women of the world; or the heavy rib-knitted sweaters, cardigans, and pullovers that became popular items among college boys and adventurous women.Table of ContentsContentsPen WipesA practical invention, meant to keep a nib pen clean and functional, took many shapes (chickens, pigs, pond lilies, pansies, maple leaves, dolls) and sold briskly until the invention of the fountain pen.Emeries, Pincushions, and Needle BooksDuring the heyday of needle making, as British factories were churning out more than 50 million needles a week, Shaker Sisters invented a profitable line of fancy accessories for sewing at home.Cora Helena Sarle—Botanical Artist and Fancy Goods PainterSarle began composing botanical drawings as a 19 year old, a testament to the encouragement among the Shakers to follow your own talent and spirit. That turned into a lifetime painting scenes—on plates, buttons, tin boxes, and pincushions—for use in the Community and for sale.Raccoon Fur and Silk GlovesAs revenues from the Shaker seed business waned, income from the coonskin fur and glove trade flourished, with Brothers and Sisters working side by side in a far-reaching enterprise that betrayed a surprising instinct for contemporary fashion among the Shakers. Shaker DollsThe Sisters created a thriving business in Shaker dolls for practical reasons: they wanted to make use of the fabric scraps left over from the Shaker cloak trade. Thanks to this thrifty impulse, generations of mothers and daughters cherished their own demure porcelain dolls, dressed in meticulous facsimiles of modest Shaker dress, complete with bonnets, cloaks, and lace collars and undergarments.The Shaker CloakThe Sisters made gray cloaks for decades for their own use, but in the late 1800s began to make versions in a stunning range of colors, with painstaking details, for fashionable women of the world, who called them opera cloaks. Separate villages ran their own concerns, each headed by an Eldress, or pair of Eldresses, who each ran her own brisk business year round.Shaker FansFrom the 1820s through the early twentieth century, the Sisters made fans in a variety of fashionable styles and colors, using palm leaves, paper, poplar, feathers, and ribbons, with handles of maple, black ash, cherry wood, and other ingenious materials. These seasonal items were highly salable, made of local materials, and could be made quickly, year round, and so provided the Sisters with an outlet when other seasonal items were unavailable.Poplarware BoxesThe Shakers began making small boxes, first with cardboard and wallpaper samples, sometimes with fragrant orange peels, and this practice developed into ingeniously woven poplar boxes. Each village developed its own signature styles, and the perennial best sellers were crafted in a dizzying array of shapes and forms. Despite the signature styles, the production of boxes was a cooperative venture, with raw material and equipment shared from one village to the next as need arose. Shaker Fancy BasketsShaker baskets began as a utility, made by men, for practical chores. As the Villages lost men to industrial employment, the Sisters began making fancy woven basket versions of the utility baskets in a great range of styles—string baskets, button baskets, cat-head baskets, knife baskets—and individual weaving styles, like quadrifoil, hexagonal, sawtooth. Fancy Brushes and DustersThe Sisters made fancy brushes and dusters out of horsehair and velvet, with elegant handles lathed out of a variety of woods, such as maple, cherry, and walnut. In an era when men wore expensive beaver top hats that needed constant brushing, the trade proved to be a valuable one, and the goods were easy to make.Shaker SweatersLike the Shaker cloak, the trade in Shaker sweaters had its origin in the practical wear that the Sisters knitted for themselves. With the advent of knitting by machine, the Sisters capitalized on the chance to produce high-quality sweaters of the best wool, at high volume. Later Twentieth Century Shaker Fancy GoodsIn an afterword by Michael Graham, the director of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum gives a brief catalogue of contemporary Shaker crafts over the past fifty years.
£28.50
Archetype Publications Ltd Dyes in History and Archaeology: Papers Presented
Book Synopsis
£48.24
Lannoo Publishers Carpets & Rugs: Every home needs a soft spot
Book SynopsisWhen does a carpet transcend the category of interior accessory to become art? This well-illustrated book features 200 carpets found in behind-the scenes tours of amazing homes around the world. In thematic chapters, it covers the main international trends, from Ethnic to Art Deco and from Contemporary to Artsy. These dressed-up living spaces provide inspiration for anyone fascinated by stylish living, creative interior design and the myriad possibilities for home decor. In addition, the author provides helpful information on the provenance of materials, quality of design, composition and workmanship possibilities for home decor. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the homes of people with a good taste. Carpets & Rugs is comprehensive and more relevant than ever.Table of Contents06 Introduction 10 Arty 31 How to 32 Tactiles 55 How to 56 INTERVIEW Koen Vanmechelen 60 Colour 81 How to 82 Outdoor 103 How to 104 INTERVIEW Francq Colors 108 Patterns 127 How to 128 Shapes and sizes 151 How to 152 INTERVIEW Muller Van Severen 156 Traditional & transitional 177 How to 178 Floral 201 How to 202 INTERVIEW Bazaar Velvet 206 Credits
£32.00
