Textile Society of America
Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Presentation
Citation
Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium
Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event
Abstract
When contemplating the origin and development of weaving and textiles, one must consider the role of warp twining. My research indicates that textile technology originated with the twisting and interlacing of strands of fiber, producing thin and long practical articles, such as belts, bands, ties, cords, and ribbons. This evolved into a wider cloth and necessitated the invention of a reed. Eventually warp and weft became balanced in contrast to the earlier warp-faced weavings. My current research has focused on “finger-held loop-manipulated warp twining,” an ancient technique for building woven structures, which is still practiced in scattered areas.
My field research confirms that the beautiful ribbons decorating the edges of clothing in Western China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and other West Asian areas, as well as the Middle East and Morocco are woven using primitive weaving techniques such as finger-held loop-manipulated warp twining. A variation of this technique known as “Kurar” is still practiced in the Kingdom of Bahrain to decorate the edges of their clothing. I will elaborate on Bahrain’s national project to preserve this important part of their national identity.
One cannot study Bahrain’s weaving and textile heritage without examining the history, culture, and spiritual practices of its people. Present-day Bahrain is thought to be the once-flourishing ancient civilization of Dilmun (2050 BC - 1700 BC), noted in Mesopotamian texts as a bustling trade center. A comparative study of finger-held loop-manipulated warp twining in Bahrain and neighboring countries offers additional support for this assumption.
Included in
Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Art Practice Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons
Comments
Published by the Textiles Society of America
Copyright 2024, the author. Used by permission