Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World

Winner of the 2017 Dartmouth Medal of the American Library Association

Best Single Volume Reference/Humanities and Social Sciences: The PROSE Awards 2017

Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year 2017

For thousands of years, embroidered textiles have been produced across North Africa and the Middle East to decorate public buildings, homes, and animals, as well as to clothe men, women, and children. They have played an important role in the social and cultural lives of communities and peoples and have reflected the economic and political changes that have affected the region from the earliest times.

Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World is the first reference work to chart the history of embroidery from Ancient Egypt to the present day and to offer an authoritative guide to all the major embroidery traditions of the region. It maps the diversity of embroidery from the Maghreb to the Gulf states, from Turkey to Sudan; traces the impact of trade, commerce, politics, and religion on materials, colours, styles, and fashions; introduces the embroiderers, their materials, equipment, and techniques; and highlights the artistic and design influences of embroidery, through to its use by modern fashion designers.

Richly illustrated with over 800 images (750 in colour) of clothes, accessories, cushions, bed linen, curtains, floor coverings, and wall hangings, many of which have never been published before, Encyclopedia is an essential resource for students and scholars of the subject.