Sea change : Ottoman textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean /
Textiles were the second most traded commodity in all of world history, preceded only by grain. In the Ottoman Empire in particular, sale and exchange of silks, cottons and woolens generated an immense amount of revenue and touched every level of society, from rural women tending silkworms to pashas...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Berkeley :
University of California Press,
[2021].
|
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Textiles were the second most traded commodity in all of world history, preceded only by grain. In the Ottoman Empire in particular, sale and exchange of silks, cottons and woolens generated an immense amount of revenue and touched every level of society, from rural women tending silkworms to pashas flaunting layers of watered camlet to merchants traveling to Mecca and beyond. Sea Change offers the first comprehensive history of the Ottoman textile sector, arguing that its enduring success resulted from its openness to expertise and objects from far-flung locations. Amanda Phillips skillfully marries art history with social and economic history, integrating formal analysis of various textiles into wider discussions of how trade, technology and migration impacted the production and consumption of textiles in the Mediterranean from around 1400 to 1800. Surveying a vast network of textile topographies that stretched from India to Italy and from Egypt to Iran, Sea Change illuminates often neglected aspects of material culture, showcasing the objects' ability to tell new kinds of stories. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | xiv, 340 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 27 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780520303591 0520303598 |