The Art of the Loom: Weaving Spinning and Dyeing Across the World - Tapa dura

Colourful and sometimes complex textiles are still produced in many parts of the world using only the simplest tools and equipment. This book focuses on eight areas of special interest - Navaho weaving in North America; bedouin textiles in the Middle East; West African narrow-strip weaving; Indonesian textiles; 'kasuri' resist dyeing in Japan; inlay weaving in Nepal; brocaded motifs from Guatemala; and Peruvian tapestry weaving - and describes the fibres used, the methods of spinning and dyeing, the types of loom and the techniques of weaving. Examples of the best textiles from each area are supplemented with numerous photographs of spinners, weavers and dyers at work, and diagrams showing how the various effects are achieved. As well as providing students and anthropologists with a valuable insight into working methods in a wide variety of traditional communities, this book and the exciting textiles it illustrates will be an endless source of ideas and inspiration for practising weavers.