This booklet is intended to illustrate the history of textiles and weaving through the centuries by bringing together some key objects from the Ashmolean Museum's many collections. The oldest objects tell us about the early history of the fibres used by weavers and how different textiles techniques develop and spread in the ancient world. The later objects -- not arranged in any strict sequence -- show how textiles were used in society to indicate rank and status, and how they were transported from one culture to another, sometimes over great distances, to become both functional and luxury items, occasionally exotic articles of high fashion.