The Book of Fine Linen (Hardcover)

A glorious tribute to vintage and collectibles linens, now back in print. The Book of Fine Linen invites us to enter the elegant world of heirloom household fabrics, their use and manufacture, their embellishment and care. In her lively thematic treatment, Francoise de Bonneville presents countless fibers and materials as both quintessential examples of the weaver's art and unusually revealing testaments of the history of daily life. Making extensive use of household inventories, diaries, and colorful details and anecdotes describing domestic arrangements, the author has examined centuries of textile history. Fabulous embroidery techniques and designs from Europe and America are also superbly illustrated and carefully explained. A fascinating text is supplemented by a rich array of visual material drawn from archival photographs, vintage advertisements, old department store catalogues, and splendid paintings, as well as original photography commissioned especially for this volume in extraordinary textile collections, private homes, and the weaving and embroidery workshops of great contemporary manufacturers. This sumptuously designed book, with its comprehensive glossary of technical terms, bibliography, and index, will make an exquisite and cherished gift for the bride-to-be as well as a stunning visual treat for textile collectors, decorators, and anyone interested in discovering the history of fine household fabrics, delightfully told, from the white linen cloth of ancient Egypt to the rainbow-hued coverlets of today.