This American lassie Virginia Postrel has written an excellent study into how textiles have made the world. I must confess that I have not finished reading this book. I may never do so, as my reason for buying it, apart from the lassie in the Museum forcing it upon me, was I wished to understand how ancient people turned Flax into linen.
If you have nothing around you, why develop string? How do you make string, or indeed anything else? It appears someone around 20,000 or so years ago, decided that the inside of Flax stalks, when dried, are long thin reeds which can be moulded together. Thus, an arrowhead can be attached to a rod for instance, and string, whatever it is made of, can be used to change life for everyone. Let's face it, we all have string somewhere in the house. The most basic of technology yet it changed the world for the better.
Virginia takes us through the development of threads, cotton, silk made from silk worms stolen from China, how very European that is. She discusses how cloth is woven in an intricate and yet highly mathematical manner, originally by uneducated Stone Age man. Weaving soon became an art and an economic essential. Trade in textiles of various makes soon spread across the world.
I confess much of the information was beyond me, or too boring for me. Much of the history of offer was and is worth reading in my mind, but I have little interest in weaving. Interestingly, the local silk weavers, who died out during the 70s, were mostly men. Reading this I realised just how skilful these weavers were, no wonder royalty came to the local Warner's Mill for their garb.
If you have an interest in weaving, cloth making, silk, cotton, and the history thereof I recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
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