Textiles of Ireland - by Elizabeth Wincott Heckett (Hardcover)

About the Book

Spanning the life's work of archaeologist Elizabeth Wincott Heckett, Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, craft, art is the first wide-ranging book on the archaeological textiles of Ireland published since 1989.

Book Synopsis

Spanning the life's work of archaeologist Elizabeth Wincott Heckett, Textiles of Ireland: Archaeology, craft, art is the first wide-ranging book on the archaeological textiles of Ireland published since 1989. The volume includes studies of cloth found in bogs, burials, hoards, sacked castles, docklands and fallen city walls. These include a mysterious weaving of horsehair, dating from before 800 BC; imprints of cloth wrappings on the weapons of a buried Viking warrior, and the exquisite liturgical textiles, inspired by the Book of Kells, embroidered in 1916 for the Honan Chapel at University College Cork. Including an overview of best practice used by archaeologists encountering textiles in the field, accompanying illustrations and imagery, glossary and charts, this book is essential reading for archaeologists, historians and anyone intrigued by the threads that bind Ireland's past to its present.

Review Quotes

...rich in content it is very concisely and clearly written...The text is very well illustrated with ample clear photographs and written descriptions...Although undoubtedly indispensable to readers studying historical Irish textiles, this book is likely to be of much interest to more general historians and textile enthusiasts alike.--Christina Chisolm "The Journal of Weavers, Spinner and Dyers"

The book is a series of scholarly essays composed by archaeologist Elizabeth Wincott Heckett, adroitly edited by Mary Ann Williams, and produced with the overall quality we expect from Cork University Press...It is considered the first authoritative history of Irish textiles since Mairead Dunleavy's Dress in Ireland (1989). It's also generously illustrated with photography, drawings, and charts, laid out to make it a satisfying browse for the casually interested reader.

--Eleanor Flegg "Selvedge Magazine"

It is a handsome, scholarly, authoritative, lavishly illustrated volume covering textile finds in Irish archaeology from the Mesolithic period... to the modern era--Niall MacMonagle "Sunday Independent"

The book, rich in detail across 500 pages is painstaking in its analysis of textile composition, has an extensive bibliography, index and many charts and illustrations...It will be invaluable reading for historians, archaeologists and others interested in Irish material culture for a long time to come. --Deirdre McQuillan "The Irish Times"