Early Decorative Textiles by W. Fritz Volbach

Early Decorative Textiles

by W. Fritz Volbach

Paul Hamlyn Cameo Art Series

Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1969, colour photographic plates throughout, hardcover, dust-jacket

Very Good Condition, minor edge and shelf wear, previous owners stamp inside front cover, dust-jacket minor edge and shelf wear, minor rubbing to edges and corners, (see photographs)

"The craft of weaving is nearly as old as man himself, for we know that woven cloth was made even in prehistoric times.  However, if we look at the patterned cloths of the Pharaohs, some of the earliest to have survived, we can see that they are far from simple.
This text takes us from Egyptian through Hellenistic, Islamic and Christian times, showing us designs of plants and animals, portraits and scenes sometimes bold and realistic, sometimes subtle and delicate.  Later, the patterns become more formal, sophisticated and refined, and the materials even more exquisite, fit for the palace of a Persian king or the robes of a Byzantine archbishop."