Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Textiles have been made and used by every culture throughout history. However diverse--whether an ancient Egyptian mummy wrapping, a Turkish carpet, an Italian velvet, or an American quilt--all textiles have basic elements in common. They are made of fibers, constructed into forms, and patterned and colored in ways that follow certain principles.

Looking at Textiles serves as a guide to the fundamentals of the materials and techniques used to create textiles. The selected technical terms explain what textiles are, how they are made, and what they are made of, and include definitions of terms relating to fibers, dyes, looms and weaving, and patterning processes. The many illustrations, including macro- and microscale photographs of a range of ancient and historic museum textiles, demonstrate the features described in the text.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Phipps, who worked as a textile conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for more than 30 years, expresses in this work her interest in the fibers, weave, and creation of textiles ranging from tapestries in medieval Europe to the silks of China. The slim text offers a surprising multitude of definitions, and its alphabetical glossary of textile terminology, along with large full-color photos on nearly every page, makes it attractive and informative. A selected bibliography provides a useful extension to fabric study. Textbooks such as Billie J. Collier, Martin Bide, and Phyllis G. Tortora's Understanding Textiles (7th ed., 2008) and Sara J. Kadolph's Textiles (11th ed.)-both from Prentice Hall-are oversized and very comprehensive but not as detailed as this title. VERDICT Archivists and artists interested in the technical scholarship, conservation, or curatorial fields of textiles and in the ways textiles are produced from one culture to another will appreciate this straightforward presentation.-Laverne Mann, Piscataway P.L., NJ (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

As Phipps, a former conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a published scholar, makes clear, textiles historically have been an essential part of every culture, serving utilitarian purposes in households and clothing and enhancing ceremonies and rituals. Although different textile-making traditions developed in different parts of the world, spinning and weaving cotton, silk, linen, and wool constituted the foundation for further development of technology. Dyes from plants, mollusks, and insects added to craftspeople's possibilities for embellishment and pattern. Easy to transport, textiles were sold and exchanged along the routes of Silk Road and European trading companies. Trade, in turn, facilitated exchange of technologies and aesthetics, along with terminology that occasionally carried reference to the place of origin of a technique or type of textile, such as denim (serge de Nimes). Phipps defines the components of textiles, discussing fibers, woven structures, printing methods, dyeing, and patterns and other embellishments in their numerous variations. She writes in concise, lucid terms, illustrating her text with color pictures of historical examples. This guide should be worthwhile for amateurs and professionals interested in historical textiles. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above; general readers. M. Tulokas emerita, Rhode Island School of Design

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Elena Phipps was a textile conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for over thirty years. She has published numerous scholarly works on textile materials, techniques, and culture, including The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530-1830 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004), awarded both the Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Award (College Art Association) and the Mitchell Prize for best exhibition catalogue.