Islamic Textiles

From the linens of medieval Egypt to the silks and velvets of the Ottoman empire, textiles produced in the heartlands of the Islamic world have for centuries been highly valued. Whether offered as tribute, worn to express status or belief, or simply bought and sold by merchants and travellers from many countries, textiles have played an important cultural and economic role in Islamic society, where often a majority of the population earned a living from their manufacture and trade. The distinctive patterns and motifs were also to have an effect on European design. The book begins with a description of materials and technical processes before moving chronologically from the early Islamic period through to the 20th century. Exploring this tradition from the combined perspective of an art historian and textile expert, Dr Baker draws on a wide variety of evidence - from documents, photographs and examples of textiles from museum collections all over the world - to tell the story of Islamic textiles.