Textiles: The Art of Mankind, Mary Schoesser

Textiles: The Art of Mankind is a sweeping, sumptuous tribute to what may be the most omnipresent yet underappreciated artform of human civilisation. With over a thousand colour plates spanning ancient tapestries, contemporary innovations, and everything in-between, the volume maps the vast territory of fabric—from the earliest structures and dye techniques to the poetic interplay of pattern, image and meaning. Juxtaposing medieval embroideries with digitally printed cloth, and nomadic weavings with studio textiles, Schoeser orchestrates a visual symphony that celebrates materials, processes, and cultural context across time and space.

The chapters—ranging from structure to surface and added dimension—are enriched by their meticulous sequencing of images and detailed captions, positioning textiles as both technical artefact and cultural document. The thoughtful design echoes the object itself: sumptuous yet scholarly, inviting both makers and scholars to pore over weave-and-weft magnifications, historical backstories, and global resource maps. This is not merely a book, but a tactile journey—one that honours cloth’s capacity to preserve memory, identity and craft in every fibre.

'With its sumptuous cloth cover and more than 1,000 colour images of historical and contemporary textiles, this fascinating journey through the history and meanings of textiles cannot fail to impress' - Embroidery

'Can be picked up often as a reference, an inspiration, or for personal refreshment … an extraordinary accomplishment that pays tribute to this field and its practitioners' - Surface Design Journal

'The writer’s knowledge of the field and her practical experience of making are evident throughout … a sumptuous - and well-written design resource aimed at inspiring textile art and design of the future' - Textile History

About the Author
Mary Schoeser is a pre-eminent textile historian, curator and archivist whose lifetime immersion in global textile collections has shaped this masterful survey. As Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the V&A and past Honorary President of the UK Textile Society, she has advised major institutions—including English Heritage, The National Trust and the Met—bringing both academic rigour and design sensitivity to her work . Schoeser’s writing is informed by a rare union of curatorial depth and maker’s appreciation, making Textiles: The Art of Mankind both an indispensable reference and a visually arresting celebration of fibre art.

Publication date: 2012
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Pages: 568
ISBN: 9780500516454