African Textiles: Color and Creativity Across a Continent
Product ID: 26868168
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“Readers with a passion for textiles will . . . settle in with the thrilling reds and calming indigos that Gillow has put before our eyes.” ― Surface Design Journal The traditional, handcrafted textiles of Africa are sumptuous, intricate, and steeped in cultural significance. Region by region, African Textiles covers, as no other volume has, the handmade textiles of West, North, East, Central, and Southern Africa, outlining the range of weaving techniques, and the different types of looms, materials, and dyes that create these sumptuous works. Nor does it neglect the cultural context of African textiles, assessing the various influences of religion, culture, trade, tradition, fashion, and the changing role of women that inform their creation. The breathtaking skill and creativity of the African peoples are presented here in radiant color―the gorgeous stripweaves of the Ashanti and the Ewe; the lace weaves of the Yoruba and the bogolanfini mud cloths from Mali and West Africa; the Berber weaves from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in North Africa; the unique, crocheted, embroidered, and feathered hats from Cameroon; the ancient weaving tradition of Ethiopia; the beadwork of the Zulu, Xhosa, and Ndebele peoples of Southern Africa; and the Asian-derived tradition of weaving silk and raphia in Madagascar. A guide to African textile collections open to the public, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading make this volume a practical as well as beautiful guide to the rich art of African textiles. 585 illustrations, 572 in color Review: Designs for all - Textiles are very important. Understanding the origin of each textile is crucial information. The geographic indicators and materials are spelled out clearly. It is a unique reference book. I value the information because I am studying my own heritage. Review: Gorgeous! - I am so happy with this beautiful book. I will definitely be buying more copies for other textile loving friends!
| Best Sellers Rank | #307,062 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #224 in Textile & Costume (Books) #605 in Arts & Photography Criticism #777 in Cultural Anthropology (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 167 Reviews |
H**I
Designs for all
Textiles are very important. Understanding the origin of each textile is crucial information. The geographic indicators and materials are spelled out clearly. It is a unique reference book. I value the information because I am studying my own heritage.
A**A
Gorgeous!
I am so happy with this beautiful book. I will definitely be buying more copies for other textile loving friends!
O**.
Pictures!!! So many!!!!
So many pictures!!!! And yet educational. Loved the book! And it came in 2 days even with standard shipping. Thank you!
C**Y
A visual delight
A fantastic book for anyone that loves global textiles
S**.
great design reference
Beautiful and covers a continent of textile history... great reference book; used many times. First saw the hardcover version, but purchased the cheaper paperback. I'd recommend the hard cover version. Other than that very happy with it
S**W
Bought as a gift
Got this as a birthday gift for my Japanese English student who is a dancer and loves African textiles\patterns. Had a peek before wrapping it, and was thoroughly satisfied with the quality, quantity, variety and sizes of the photos. My student was elated.
C**N
Great book
Loads of information. Good photo images. Arrived pretty fast.
A**Y
Beautiful
This book encompasses the fabric of the entire continent. It is well written and beautifully illustrated. A must have for anyone interested in the design and history of African fabric.
C**N
excelente libro
Excelente resumen del arte textil africano. de lectura obligatoria para conocer acerca de los tesoros del arte textil africano, es una pena que no se haga una edición en español ya que hay muy poca bibliografía en este idioma
M**A
Beau livre
Très beau livre de belle qualité. Cadeau que ma fille à adorée . Photos magnifiques .L ivre impossible à trouver en librairie , merci amazon
R**Y
A great source of inspiration on traditional textiles
As a textile design student, I bought this book as a source of inspiration after leafing through it at my local bookshop, and I have been very pleased with my purchase. A wide range of different textiles are shown in beautiful colour images, and there is enough text to accompany the images. For me, the book has a perfect balance of pictures and information - it is informative on it's subject matter as well as aesthetically pleasing. The textiles chosen for this book are from different regions in Africa and represent a range of techniques, giving a good overview of traditional textiles from Africa. This book changed my ideas on textiles from Africa and introduced me to a wonderful new source of inspiration. Being from Northern Europe, I wasn't very familiar with African arts and crafts to begin with, and my preconceptions were largely based on the African influences I had seen in Western art and fashion. I was happy to get my hands on a book that showcases original fabrics from this region. I find no fault with this book, on the contrary, it is simply one of the best book on textiles I own. The images are great quality and colours seem accurate, and I love the tactile quality of the images as well - in some photos you can actually see the texture of the fabric and even some wear and tear on some older fabrics. I have found it useful in my studies, as I find myself going back to it again and again.
D**G
This book is a treasure.
An indispensable, comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated volume. Its geographic categories and description of specific techniques and cross-border influences show enormous erudition. A real treasure to read and to simply look at for its photographs!
C**R
Amazing
This book is amazing.
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