Schoeser, Mary – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk Henley-on-Thames Thu, 18 May 2023 11:25:24 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-Bell-Background-Blue-32x32.png Schoeser, Mary – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk 32 32 World Textiles https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/world-textiles/ Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/world-textiles/ An updated edition of this indispensable reference, surveying the history of textiles from 25,000 years ago to the present.

The history of textiles, more than that of any other artefact, is a history of human ingenuity. From the very earliest needles of 50,000 years ago to the smart textiles of today, textiles have been fundamental to human existence, and enjoyed, prized and valued by every culture. Silks from China, cottons from India, tapestries from Flanders, dyes from South America – the appeal of different weaves, colours and patterns was long a motivation for trade, the exchange of ideas and sometimes even war.

Mary Schoeser’s groundbreaking book, now revised and updated to incorporate new research, presents a chronological survey of textiles around the world from prehistory to the present. It explores how they are made, what they are made from, how they function in society and the ways in which they are valued and given meaning as well as reflecting on the environmental challenges they present today. World Textiles offers an invaluable introduction to this vast and fascinating subject for makers, designers, textile and fashion professionals, collectors and students alike.

]]> The Art of Wallpapers https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-art-of-wallpapers/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-art-of-wallpapers/ This extensively illustrated volume focuses on William Morris (1834-1896), placing his wallpaper designs within the context of the radical changes in taste witnessed during the Victorian era. Against a backdrop of the fanciful, naturalistic patterns that typified fashionable papers in Morris’s youth, the impact of the Reform Movement of the mid-19th century is underscored, particularly the reformers’ crusade against such multi-coloured ornamental decoration. Instead, the insistence on the concepts of honesty and propriety as promoted by A. W. N. Pugin and Owen Jones, are demonstrated as influences on Morris. The role of imported Japanese wallpapers is also explored, giving insight into a seldom-discussed cultural exchange evidenced within the story of Morris & Co, which produced wallpapers from 1864 until 1940 and, after a post-war hiatus, from the 1960s to the present.

Amplifying Morris’s role in the creation of an influential and lasting style, his work is set within a selection by other designers, including Christopher Dresser and C. F. A. Voysey. Also introduced are firms of significance including Jeffrey & Co. and Arthur Sanderson & Sons, both of whom block-printed the Morris wallpapers. In a highly visual presentation, what is revealed are influences across time and within a global context, as pertinent to the creation of wallpaper art in the 19th century as it is today.

]]>