PREFACE

T HE purpose of this manual is to give a short, but, never-theless, a comprehensive history of figured weaving;tracing its development through what is termed thecharacteristics or styles of certain periods, communities, orcountries, and thus enabling those readers who are interested inwoven or printed patterned fabrics to understand readily and toappreciate the magnificent inheritance of beautiful and usefulexamples of the weaver’s craft that now lie available for referenceand inspiration to those who desire to know what has been donein the past, and what may be done in the future.

To the designer, the salesman, the student, and also the generalreader, the study of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance fabrics, withtheir delightful imagery, variety and beauty of form, texture, andcolour, correlated as they are with the social and industrial life ofthe present day, should prove interesting, instructive, and stimulat-ing, as the possibilities of the craft for usefulness or richness ofmaterial, together with suggestiveness and beauty of pattern, areunderstood and appreciated.

Advantage has been taken to secure representative examples oftextile design from the splendid collections of historic fabrics inthe Victoria and Albert Museum, and also from the smaller yetchoice Manchester Collections, both of which are freely accessibleto all who are interested in the subject.

The Author’s thanks are due to Mr. Herbert Batsford for hisexperienced co-operation, and also for his valuable help in securingmany hitherto unpublished photographs of fabrics included amongthe illustrations of this manual.

RICHARD GLAZIER

Manchester