Medieval Textiles across Eurasia, c. 300-1400

Introduction

This study considers the textiles made, traded, and exchanged across Eurasia from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages with special attention to the socio-political and cultural aspects of this universal medium. It presents a wide range of textiles used in both domestic and religious settings, as dress and furnishings, and for elite and ordinary owners.

The introduction presents historiographical background to the study of textiles and explains the conditions of their survival in archaeological contexts and museums.

Materials and Techniques

A section on the materials and techniques used to produce textiles is followed by those outlining textile production, industry, and trade across Eurasia.

Uses and Functions

Further sections examine the uses for dress and furnishing textiles and the appearance of imported fabrics in European contexts, addressing textiles' functions and uses in medieval societies.

Textile Aesthetics

Lastly, a concluding section on textile aesthetics connects fabrics to their broader visual and material context.