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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2026/01/the-atlas-of-world-embroidery-book/>
"The term “needlework” covers a wide variety of thread-based practices from
sewing to knitting to lace-making. While some of these are functional,
techniques like embroidery are often employed purely for their aesthetic
qualities. From ornately stitched Japanese robes to regal, patterned belts in
Central Africa’s Kuba kingdom, the time-honored medium is diverse with
virtually endless applications.
In
The Atlas of World Embroidery by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, forthcoming
from Princeton University Press, a world of compositions made with needle and
thread is compiled into a single volume.
Where there is fabric, there tends to be embroidery, whether in the form of
ceremonial headdresses, badges, vestments, quilts, gowns, or myriad other
items. Often combined with beads, shells, leather, and found objects, the
practice fulfills a range of cultural, ritual, and personal purposes.
Every world region has its own interpretations and motifs, from Indigenous
America to Europe to the Iranian Plateau. But there is also a rich amount of
cross-pollination, highlighting how international trade and migration
introduced different designs across cultures.
Emphasizing the spectacular visual diversity of the art form,
Vogelsang-Eastwood illuminates embroidery’s global history. The volume contains
more than 300 images and thoroughly surveys its implementation and styles, with
subsections devoted to individual countries, cultures, and the kinds of ornate
needlework that characterize different regions."
Via Susan ****
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
