Publications

Journal for Dress and Textiles of the Islamic World

Just published: Volume 3 of Khil`a, a journal that is dedicated to textiles and dress from the Islamic world. It is published by Peeters in Louvain, Belgium, under the auspices of the Textile Research Centre. This issue contains articles about the sale of Islamic dress on the internet; the concept of the Robe of Honour ('Khil`a'); Islamic sumptuary laws for clothing and personal appearance; trousers for women from Southwest Asia; Tommy Cooper and his fez, or was it a tarbush?; gentleman's clothing from Afghanistan, anno 1809, and finally an exhaustive bibliography for Southwest Asian dress studies.

Read more: Khil'a

Cover of Volume V (Central and Southwest Asia) of the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion

Just published this summer: Volume V of the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: Central and Southwest Asia.

The volume contains 515 pages with entries on a large variety of topics relating to dress from Central and Southwest Asia, written by specialists from all over the world.

Volume V was edited by Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, director of the TRC. The book forms part of a 10-volume series with Professor Joanne B. Eicher, Regents Professor Emerita, University of Minnesota, USA, as editor-in-chief. For further information on the Encyclopedia, see here. For specific information on Volume 5 and a table of contents, click here.

by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood

NEW: published by Primavera Pers, Leiden, in cooperation with the TRC

Embroidery from the Arab World, by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood

The Arab world is famous for its calligraphy, miniatures, woodwork, ceramics and silver. However, so far little has been said about another important aspect of Arab culture: the art of embroidery. For centuries, embroidered cloth has been used to decorate private houses and public buildings and to dress men, women and children. Embroidery played an important part in both social and cultural lives of people and reflected economic and political change. This is the first time that a book has been dedicated to the various types of embroidery from the Arab world. The book presents numerous examples of embroidery from Arab countries and shows some of the various ways in which techniques, colours and motifs were and still are used to embellish textiles. It will be a source of knowledge and inspiration for anyone with an interest in textiles and dress and for those who are curious about a relatively unknown aspect of Arabic art.

128 pag., 22 x 26 cm (pb), 134 ill. in full colour
ISBN 978-90-5997-089-2
EUR 27.50

The book is for sale from the TRC. For postage within The Netherlands, please transfer the sum of EUR 31 (including packaging and postage) to ING bank account 2982359, "TRC Leiden", with reference to "Embroidery". Do not forget to give your address! For postage outside of Holland, please email the TRC: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for costs of shipment.

An Introduction to Middle Eastern Face Veils

Covering the Moon. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood and Willem Vogelsang

Authors: Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood and Willem Vogelsang

The subject of veiling and face veils is nowadays one of the most controversial topics in the media and the public domain. Most people, and especially politicians and journalists, in both Muslim and non-Muslim societies, seem to have a strong opinion about it. Many books and articles have been written about the question as to why women wear a face veil and whether or not it represents a form of oppression. In contrast, there is very little information about the face veils themselves, the various types and the regional variations.

This book describes and illustrates the history of face veils, from its pre-Islamic origins to the present day. It tells about the many regional variations, from Morocco in the far west to Central Asia in the northeast. It emphasises the role of face veils as a form of dress and identity, rather than a garment that conceals an individual's persona.

Details:

Year: 2008
ISBN: 978-90-429-1990-7
Pages: X-247 p.
Available from the TRC shop, or via Peeters, Louvain, or Amazon.

Price: 78 EURO

Click here for the table of contents and information about the authors. 

Review from: Saudi-Aramco World, Sept. 2009

In a period when the subject is apt to be polemical, it is very refreshing to find a work that concentrates on the veil as an item of costume. Covering the Moon does not limit itself to Middle Eastern veils, but ranges as far as China and Saharan Africa. The book opens with a useful summary of the history of veiling, and its great strength is its wonderful illustrations: historic prints and miniatures, photographs taken over the past century and a half and, of course, numerous images of the veils themselves, many of which are extremely decorative. The book’s liveliness is enhanced by quotations from original sources, including travelers’ accounts and several autobiographies by Muslim women. The careful analysis and naming of veil types and veil parts in different regions and periods provides a very useful glossary of terms. They observe that the traditional styles of veiling are vanishing, tending to be superseded by a global model based on Saudi practice. This makes it all the more valuable that they have recorded a very important part of the costume of the Muslim world. (Caroline Stone) (SO09)