Centre for Textile Research
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Article
Citation
In Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia. Anthology of COST Action “CA 19131 – EuroWeb”. Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Louise Quillien, & Kalliope Sarri, Editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2024. DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1811
Abstract
Textiles and clothing constitute a fundamental element of our cultural past, present, and future. Therefore, they were also represented in many mediums, such as iconographic depictions and literature. Images are a source of visual and mental illustration and are often dependent on the viewer’s perspective. As a result, the representations of textiles convey social constructions and their cultural perception. Their study is the focal point of this article: The ways in which textiles and clothing are described by the imagery shown in Greek and Roman statuary and iconography, as well as in contemporary Albanian literature and mythology.
Representations illustrate the colorful, vibrant, complex and valuable reality that textiles and dress embodied. They visually tell past stories, for a particular audience, and place, but foremost with intention. It is the purpose behind textile depictions that is of interest, as it offers an insight into the conception, roles, usage, and views on textiles and garments in the past. Those are the kind of stories we want to investigate, so-called textile narratives.
Iconographic evidence will be center stage in this effort of understanding past perceptions of textiles and dress. Therefore, it is crucial to indicate what our own definition of iconography is. This term is often used to conjointly gather all images and different artwork expressions, no matter the support or technique: Sculptures, mosaics, wall-paintings, vase decorations, coinage, and so much more. As C. Brøns and S. Harris perfectly summarize, “iconography is the study of representations in its many forms.” That same vision and definition is what this article refers to.
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, Eastern European Studies Commons, European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Human Geography Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Comments
Copyright © 2024 by the authors.