Textiles are the most ubiquitous, diverse, and consistently creative art formon the planet. This major new work comprises more than one thousandimages that highlight the beauty, subtlety, simplicity, or complexity of textilescreated around the world.Based on knowledge accrued over a lifetime of immersion in the textilearts, Mary Schoeser's definitive text offers sweeping insight into the rolethat textiles have played throughout human civilization. The juxtapositionof historical and contemporary examples highlights the skill and imaginationof textile designers through the centuries as well as the remarkable rangeof achievements.Detailed images and informed captions illustrate the variety and allureof textiles, and the informative descriptions include histories of privatecollections, underscoring the importance of context for appreciating theexquisite detail of fabric and cloth. An extensive resource section providesvaluable information about museum and textile associations across the globe.