Weekend Read: The Atlas of World Embroidery by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood
Embroidery is one of the most widely shared forms of human expression, yet it remains endlessly diverse. Found wherever cloth exists, it has long adorned ceremonial dress, domestic textiles, religious objects and everyday clothing. The Atlas of World Embroidery: A Global Exploration of Heritage and Styles, by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, brings this extraordinary breadth into a single, richly illustrated volume that reads as both visual feast and cultural map.
The Atlas of World Embroidery: A Global Exploration of Heritage and Styles, by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood
Organised geographically, the atlas leads readers on a global journey through needlework traditions, from the quillwork and birch-bark embroidery of Indigenous North America to the exuberant floral motifs of Hungarian Matyó dress; from India’s opulent zardozi to the refined satin stitches of Han Dynasty China. Across more than 300 full-colour images, embroidery emerges as both surface decoration, and as a language of identity, belief and exchange, shaped by environment, materials and cultural values.
A late 20th-century group of Wodaabe men in Niger wear long tabards, some of which are woven, while others (to the left) are embroidered. Photo by Homo Cosmicos
Vogelsang-Eastwood weaves together past and present with a strong emphasis on material intelligence. Threads, dyes, tools and techniques are explored alongside the lives of makers and the communities that shaped each tradition. Embroidery appears on clothing, household items and ceremonial objects, often combined with beads, shells, leather or found materials. While the book focuses primarily on hand needlework, it also acknowledges the role of machine techniques, tracing how industrial processes intersected with — and sometimes transformed — local practices.
Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame, François-Hubert Drouais (1727 - 1775).
The atlas draws extensively on textiles from the Textile Research Centre (TRC) in Leiden, where Vogelsang-Eastwood serves as Director. Her background as a design historian and textile archaeologist is evident in the balance between scholarly rigour and visual storytelling. Rather than attempting an exhaustive survey — an impossible task for a subject of such scale — the book is conceived as a curated tour, offering representative examples alongside lesser-known traditions that reward closer attention.
Boys Jacket, mid 20th century. Mangal. Cotton, wool, silk, beads, mirrors, needlework. Image: Courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Each regional section is broken down into countries, cultures and distinctive embroidery forms, spanning the Americas, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabic world, Turkey and the Iranian Plateau, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia, and Southeast Asia and Australasia. A directory of global motifs at the back of the book encourages readers to look closely and explore embroidery as a living, evolving practice.
Bargello cushion cover, made in England, 1701-1725. Linen, plain weave; embroidered with wool and silk in flame stitch. Image courtesy of the Art Institute Chicago.
Embroidered Roman Catholic vestment. Embroidered by Helena Wintour (c. 1600-1671). Photo by Harriet Magill.
Ultimately, The Atlas of World Embroidery is intended, in Vogelsang-Eastwood’s words, to be “a feast for the eyes” — a book that sparks curiosity and makes the fingers itch to stitch. It is a timely reminder that embroidery, though ancient, remains vibrant and relevant: a shared yet deeply local craft that continues to travel, adapt and speak across cultures, one stitch at a time.
The Atlas of World Embroidery will be published by Princeton University Press on 17 February 2026. Pre-order your copy now on the Selvedge website.
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Further information:
Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood: Princeton University Press
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Image Credits:
Lead: Bai Baby Hat, 20th century China. Cotton, silk, hair, wool, sequins, beads. Image: Courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
All further images as credited in photo captions.