This worldwide survey is essential reading for anyone with a passion for textiles, whether creative, professional or educational.

A dazzling array of illustrations includes paintings and photographs of both historic and contemporary textiles and a broad collection of textiles being created, worn and lived with.

The author reminds us powerfully of the significance of fabrics throughout human history. Her expertise is enriched by her own hands-on experience: spinning silk from silkworm cocoons, weaving cloth and creating natural dyes. As a curator she has studied thousands of textiles.

Bridging past and present ? from the Stone Age to 21st-century ?smart fabrics? which can regulate body temperature or measure the wearer?s pulse ? the book integrates craft, art, science, history and anthropology, drawing on examples from around the globe.

Here are topics such as the universality of textiles in human language and experience; their social role in bonding families and communities; the importance of textiles in world trade; their spiritual and sacred aspects; and the work of artists using textiles as their medium.