Synopses & Reviews
Quilts evoke the past and#8211; they stimulate our earliest memories of security and comfort and resonate with historical and cultural references. For the first time, the VandA showcases its extensive patchwork and quilt collection in one sumptuously illustrated publication. Major essays by leading textile and quilt historians document the fascinating history of British patchwork and quiltmaking, while individual case studies focus on particularly complex or extraordinary pieces within the collection. Primary sources such as inventories, diaries, letters, and pieces from both private and public collections offer opportunities to reinterpret the personal narratives that document life cycle events such as marriage, childbirth, love, and loss. This book offers a unique opportunity to discover one of the VandAand#8217;s most hidden collections.and#160;
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Quilts 1700and#8211;2010 includes a comprehensive catalogue, providing a key work of reference for quilters, quilt and textile historians, designers, and anyone interested in the extraordinarily creative and eccentric culture of Great Britain
Praise for Quilts 1700-2010:
and#8220;Quilts 1700and#8211;2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories reveals a wealth of information about fabric traditions in a sumptuously detailed volume published by the Victoria and Albert (VandA) Museum, London.and#8221; and#8212;Fiberarts magazine
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and#8220;Lovers of quilt history will relish Quilts 1700and#8211;2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories, edited by Sue Prichard. Covering more than 300 years of quiltmaking and published to accompany a major exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the book is filled with large, full-color photos and personal and social histories to reveal the quiltmakersand#8217; connections to the world at large.and#8221; and#8212;Quiltmaker magazine
Review
andldquo;Suzani wall hangings, ikat trousers, embroidered satchelsandmdash;this lush volume explores the breathtaking textiles of a region steeped in color and pattern.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Lavish in illustration and exhaustive in research.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Mellerandrsquo;s book is the first I am aware of to focus on andlsquo;everyday textilesandrsquo; . . . Meller is among the first serious collectors to elevate these garments to connoisseurship. . . . Even if you already have three feet of Central Asian textile books on your shelf, this one will still be a worthy addition. If youandrsquo;d like to peruse the splendor of Central Asian cloth for the first time, then Silk and Cotton will soon be a well-thumbed book on your coffee table.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;As the enticing images signify, dynamic multilayered patterns in vibrant singing colors are the hallmark of these textiles. Eclecticism is the other prevailing leitmotif, with robes, dresses, and hangings constructed on mix-and-match principles . . . Textile historians will appreciate the wealth of contextual pictures, but the textiles themselves can be enjoyed on a purely visual level as joyful and inspiring works of art.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Susan Meller is a California textile expert who is plainly obsessedandnbsp;with Central Asia . . . she has journeyedandnbsp;in time, reading old travel writers as well as newer ones, dipping into history from the Mongol Empire in the 13th century to the end of the Soviet Empire in the 20th. She includes passages from the travelersandrsquo; narratives and illustrations from their books. . . . The result is a lot more than just a book about silk and cotton. . . . It is indeed a wonderful album. Its range of textiles is huge, not just the famed ikats and suzanis of the area, but everyday household textiles and cloths. She points to the details of regional stitching in clothing and hats, and how patterns have evolved according to tribal groupings and handed down. All this is presented against a background of the complex history of the region . . . and a social history which had a determining effect on the textiles themselves.andrdquo;
Synopsis
In 1764, British customs confiscated a book containing hundreds of samples of different qualities of silks from French agents who were attempting to sell them illegally in London. This merchants sample book was acquired in 1972 by the Victoria and Albert Museum, and today it provides a fascinating record of the 18th-century French and English silk industries and their commercial practices. Alongside a full and faithful reproduction of the whole beautiful albuman extremely rare, fragile, and significant objectLesley Miller describes how the sample book was a marketing tool for the premier European silk-weaving center of Lyon, France, and a model for English textile manufacturers in Spitalfields. She also discusses how the silks were made and for whom through the use of contemporary portraits and archival documents dating to the 1760s. The album itself is astonishing, reproducing hundreds of patterns.
Synopsis
This groundbreaking book documents the fascinating history of quilt and patchwork production in Britain. The hidden histories and personal narratives of some of the most evocative objects in the VandAand#8217;s collection are revealed, from the origins of the and#8220;love poemand#8221; on the and#8220;Chapman marriage coverletand#8221; to the sources of inspiration for the intricately pieced pictorial and#8220;George III coverlet.and#8221; Originally published to accompany a wildly popular VandA exhibition, this lavishly illustrated book presents quilt-making as much more than craft.
Synopsis
The traditional textiles of Central Asia are unknown treasures. Straddling the legendary Silk Road, this vast region stretches from Russia in the west to China in the east. Whether nomadic or sedentary, its peoples created textiles for every aspect of their way of life, from ceremonial objects marking rites of passage, to everyday garments, to practical items for the home. There were
suzanis for the marriage bed; prayer mats; patchwork quilts; bridal ensembles; bags for tea, scissors, and mirrors; lovingly embroidered hats and bibs; and robes of every color and pattern.
Author Susan Meller has spent years assembling the 590 textiles illustrated in this book. She documents their history, use, and meaning through archival photographs and fascinating travelersand#8217; narratives spanning many centuries. Her book will be a revelation to designers, collectors, students of Central Asia, and travelers to the region. Silk and Cotton is destined to become a classic.
About the Author
Susan Meller is the author of
Russian Textiles: Printed Cloth for the Bazaars of Central Asia and the coauthor of
Textile Designs. She lives in Berkeley, California.
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