Fabric of Life: Textiles from the Middle East and Central Asia

This book explores the significance and beauty of the textile traditions from Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and the countries of the Arabian peninsula. This vast region has been the focus of migration, invasion, exploration and trade for thousands of years. It is home to a wealth of cultural traditions and an exchange of designs, motifs, materials and ideas that lives on to this day. From the intricate embroidery on a Palestinian wedding dress to the richness of indigo-dyed textiles from Oman, this book examines how textiles reflect the beliefs, practices and experiences of people from across these lands. Additionally, works by contemporary artists and designers highlight how old traditions are being adapted to convey new messages, as exemplified by the work of modern Lebanese furniture designers Huda Baroudi and Marie Hibri who use original Uzbek suzani textiles in the upholstery of their pieces.
In contrast, Bita Ghezelayagh, a contemporary Iranian artist working in felt, reinterprets a traditional shepherd's cloak by embellishing her piece with 1001 key-shaped talismans and embroidered inscriptions with the phrase 'Martyrdom is the key to paradise', a popular slogan used during the Iran-Iraq War that she frequently encountered during her childhood. Presenting embroidered, woven, appliqued, dyed, beaded and embellished pieces, the textiles featured include rugs and mats, costumes, hats and headdresses, bags and footwear, children's clothing, tent hangings, amulet decorations and even horse-harnesses. Pieces are grouped into themed chapters according to their purpose or meaning, enabling, for example, the comparison of domestic furnishings, wedding attire and amulets from across the region. This book offers hours of visual enjoyment and creative inspiration and will be essential reading for anyone interested in the world of textile arts.