Includes indexes.

Prehistoric Materials and Techniques -- The Dye and Loom Age c. 3000-400 BC -- Trade and Trends 750 BC to AD 600 -- Church and State AD 600-1500 -- Western Ideas and Styles Dispersed 1300-1900 -- Oriental Influences 1450-1900 -- Surface Patterning from Indigo to Ikat 600-1900 -- The Importance of Cotton and Linen 1500-1950 -- New Technology 1600-2000 -- The Art of Textiles 1850-Today.

The history of textiles, more than that of any other artifact, is the history of human ingenuity. From the very earliest needles of twenty-five thousand years ago to the techno textiles of today, they have been fundamental to human existence, and enjoyed, prized and valued by every culture. Silks from China, cottons from India, tapestries from Flanders, dyes from South America -- the appeal of different weaves, colors and patterns was long the motivation for trade, the exchange of ideas and sometimes even war. Mary Schoeser's groundbreaking book presents a chronological survey of textiles around the world from prehistory to the present, exploring how they are made, what they are made from, how they function in society and the ways in which they are valued and given meaning. World Textiles is an invaluable introduction to this vast and fascinating subject for makers, designers, textile and fashion professionals, collectors and students alike.