How to Read African Textiles (Paperback)

Christine Giuntini

ISBN 10: 1588397912 / ISBN 13: 9781588397911

Published by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. The latest volume in The Met's How to Read series, focusing on the rich and varied textiles of Africa through forty exemplars from the nineteenth century to the present day Across the African continent, handwoven cloth and clothing have historically been labor-intensive creations deeply embedded in local and regional value systems. These fabrics could be endlessly adapted to communal and individual needs, variously serving to clothe the body, divide architectural space, protect the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the wearer, and convey the wealth and authority of the owner. In this volume of The Met's acclaimed and popular How to Read series, readers are guided through forty masterworks of African fiber arts, from a dynamic nineteenth-century interior hanging from Sierra Leone to a dreamlike textile canvas by contemporary Malagasy artist Joel Andrianomearisoa. Organized geographically, the book explores the complex histories of production, consumption, and exchange attached to these extraordinary works, providing clear explanations of long-standing and newly embraced techniques and materials, as well as offering readers new ways to appreciate Africa's diverse textile traditions. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press The latest volume in The Met's How to Read series, focusing on the rich and varied textiles of Africa through forty exemplars from the nineteenth century to the present day Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781588397911

Bibliographic Details

• Title: How to Read African Textiles (Paperback)
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1588397912
• ISBN 13: 9781588397911
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The latest volume in The Met’s How to Read series, focusing on the rich and varied textiles of Africa through forty exemplars from the nineteenth century to the present day
 
Historically, handwoven cloth and clothing made across the African continent have been labor-intensive creations deeply embedded in local and regional value systems. These fabrics, frequently adapted to communal and individual needs, serve to clothe the body, divide architectural space, protect physical = and spiritual well-being, and convey wealth and authority. This volume in The Met’s acclaimed How to Read series features forty masterworks of African fiber arts, from a dynamic nineteenth-century interior hanging from Sierra Leone to a dreamlike textile canvas by a contemporary Malagasy artist. Authors Christine Giuntini and Jenny Peruski explore the complex histories of production, consumption, and exchange attached to these extraordinary works; contextualize long-standing and recently embraced techniques and materials; and offer readers new ways to appreciate Africa’s diverse textile traditions.
 
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

About the Author

Christine Giuntini is conservator and Jenny Peruski is assistant curator, Arts of Africa, both in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.