Description
Book SynopsisWith over 200 color illustrations,
Byzantine Silk on the Silk Roads examines in detail the eclectic iconography of the Byzantine period and its impact on design and creativity today. Through an examination of the extraordinary variety of designs in these captivating silks, an international team of experts reveal that Byzantine culture was ever-moving and open to diverse influences across the length of the Silk Road. Commentaries from curators at key collections including the Museum of Arts, Boston, the Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt), the V&A and the Vatican reveal the spread of silk embroidery and designs from East to West, and from West to East, from China to Rome, and from Constantinople to Korea. Drawing on exclusive imagery from worldwide collections within museums, churches and archives as case studies, their analysis of these unique woven silks explores the relationship between color and power, material culture and status, and offers broader insight into Byzantine culture,
Trade ReviewTextile enthusiasts looking for a deeper dive into the specific history of Byzantine silk will appreciate
Byzantine Silk on the Silk Roads ... The volume includes gorgeous and helpful color illustrations throughout, mainly photographs of silk textiles but also diagrams of the weaving process and images of Byzantine art to enhance the reader’s understanding ... [An] encyclopedic reference volume for scholars who have serious interest in silk textiles. * Dress: The Journal of the Costume Society of America *
A wide-ranging exploration of the borderless terrains traversed by the alluring patterns and complex looms that created the most treasured cloths in the Medieval period and continue to inspire today. * Mary Schoeser, V&A, The Textile Society and the School of Textiles, UK *
As interesting to read as it is to look at. ... This sumptuous book is richly illustrated and almost as carefully crafted as the Byzantine silk of its title. * Newtown Review of Books *
A must-read for scholars and students of textile design … Thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated. * Steeve Buckridge, Grand Valley State University, USA *
A detailed, comprehensive and lavishly illustrated study of Byzantine Silk, offering a genuinely transcultural perspective on the manufacture and dissemination of these key textiles. * Craig Benjamin, Grand Valley State University, USA *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations: Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo
List of Contributors: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
Preface: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
Introduction: Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo
Acknowledgements: Ryoko Yamanaka Konda and Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
List of Abbreviations: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
Glossary: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
General Maps - Maps of East to West Silk Trade Routes: Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo 1:
Silk Along the Silk Roads: Diversity & Eclecticism, Sarah E. Braddock Clarke 2:
Ancient Chinese Silk Textiles: Focusing on Warp-faced Silks, Sae Ogasawara 3:
A Study of Sassanian Brocade, Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo 4:
Byzantine Brocades: A Contribution to Art History, Dr Tomoyuki Masuda 5:
The Spread of Byzantine Silk Towards the Jacquard Loom, Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo 6:
Four Categories of Ancient and Medieval Classical Figured Textiles, Kazuko Yokohari 7:
Islamic Textiles, Louise W. Mackie 8:
On Medieval Lampas: Textiles in the Iberian Peninsula from the Al-Andalus Period, Silvia Saladrigas Cheng 9:
Byzantine Court Dress, Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo 10:
Collections of Museums, Cathedrals and Churches, Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo with with Dominique Bénazeth, Toko Hirayama, Dr Rei Ito, Anne Hedeager Krag, Esclarmonde Monteil, Elena Ota, Alexandra Van Puyvelde, Kimberly Randall, Yoko Tanaka and Monica Vroon 11:
Pattern and Colour in the Byzantine Empire, Ryoko Yamanka Kondo 12:
The Spread of Silk to Japan, Ryoko Yamanka Kondo 13:
Warp-faced Brocade in Japan, Shizuo Takata 14:
Ancient Textiles Preserved in Japan, Reborn, Kiyoshi Tatsumura 15:
Chronological Charts of Civilizations & Textiles, Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo
Bibliography: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
Image Credits: Ryoko Yamanaka Kondo
Index: Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
