Overview

Luxury, beauty, refinement, sensuality, elegance - silk is synonymous with all of these qualities. No fibre - natural or manmade - rivals its versatility. Silk is light but strong, smooth and soft, supremely adaptable. It can be made wonderfully warm or deliciously cool. It can be dyed with infinite subtlety or boldness of colour. When worn or draped, its fluidity is spellbinding. The Book of Silk tells the rich history of this remarkable material through five millennia, reproducing hundreds of fabrics, furnishings and garments from all parts of the world. From ancient China, where the secret of reeling silkworm cocoons was first discovered, the narrative leads by the legendary Silk Routes to Byzantium and the Islamic world, to Ottoman Turkey and India - and on to the Renaissance, and the baroque and rococo silks of western Christendom. In modern times the fashion industry yields a wonderful array of designs, from Fortuny and Balenciaga, to Poiret and Schiaparelli. At every stage, silk's status as the most prized fabric of all ensured that it drew the most creative talents of every period, from anonymous Chinese masters to the celebrated couturiers of France and Italy. A dazzling selection of illustrations, many drawn from private collections, reveals silk's omnipresence in couture and decoration, carpets, embroidery and even painting. Complete with a detailed reference section that includes terms and technical processes, collecting and care, galleries and museums, and a bibliography, The Book of Silk will appeal to anyone interested in history, fashion, beauty and textiles.

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9780500283080

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Reviews

'The most comprehensive history of silk ever written' - Drapers Record 'The Book of Silk is as luxurious as the remarkable material itself' - Fashion Weekly 'Full of scholarship, wit and fine writing' - The Washington Post

It was the Chinese who, over 5000 years ago, first discovered and domesticated the silk worm; which eventually became unable to fly, capable only of mating and producing eggs for silk makers. On the ancient trade routes silk was always a valuable commodity, mystifying the Western world. This beautiful book, packed with sumptuous illustrations of clothing, fabrics and furnishings, follows its colourful history right up to the extravagant Lacroix scarves of today. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

A traveller, writer, exhibitions organizer and collector, Philippa Scott has been fascinated by silk and textiles all her life. She studied textiles at Leicester Art College and is contributing editor of Hali.

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