Egyptian Textiles by Rosalind Hall

Egyptian Textiles by Rosalind Hall

'She who was irch in fine lineen, who loved clothes, lies in the cast-off garment of yesterday.' So ends an ancient Egyptian funeral lament, and indeed these textiles have frequently become the neglected cast-off rags of today, lying undiscovered in museum basements. This book attempts to rectify the situation by assessing the archaeological importance of textiles, describing and illustrating recently 'rediscovered' garments, and translating little known related texts. A survey of the nature and quality of woven fabrics and dyeing processes is followed by a techanical description of spinning and weaving. Representations of costume on reliefs and statuary are viewed chronologically, and the often divergent extant garments are then described. A complete chapter is devoted to the wardrobes of Tutankhamun and other Pharaohs. The Egyptian laundry service is discussed: methods of washing and pleating, laundry lists and marks, and the washermen's complaints. Sewing and darning equipment and methods, with an inventory of embroidery stitches and dressmaking techniques, are described for the first time. A conclusion is reached on dress as a status symbol in ancient Egypt by a survey of garment prices and of all types of specific dress, or undress, from that vizier to prostitute.

Rosalind Hall graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1973 with an honours degree in Ancient History and Archaeology. In 1974 she was appointed to the academic staff of University College London, where she now holds the post of Lecturer in Egyptology at the Institute of Archaelogy. Her interest in textiles and the history of ancient Egyptian dress was aroused by her curatorial work in her previous post ast Assistant Curator in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780852638002
ISBN 10	0852638000
Title	Egyptian Textiles
Author	Rosalind Hall
Series	Shire Egyptology
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2001-02-01
Number of pages	72
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable