1073



▶ textiles and needlework

introduction

Archaeologists assume that the earliest clothing worn by

humans were animal skins. With textiles, people were able

to make clothing from hair such as wool and plants such as

fl ax, the source of linen. Silk, which is made from cocoons of

the silk worm, was an almost miraculous discovery made by

people near the Yellow River in China in about 1900 b.c.e.

One disadvantage all textiles had was that they each needed

to be produced in the appropriate climate. Sheep, the source

of most wool, needed open grasslands for their herds. Cot-

ton required long hot seasons. Th us, the most common tex-

tiles of early times were those that traveled well—that is, ones

that prospered in a wider variety of climates than most. Th is

meant that hemp, in particular, was the common source of

fabric used by the poor, because it was durable and would

grow even in nutrient-poor soils.

Textiles did not pop up everywhere at once. Indeed, a

newly appointed Chinese governor to far northern China in

the 100s c.e. was dismayed to fi nd that the people of the region

wore few textiles and tried to keep warm by wearing grasses.

Flax, which produced one of the most durable and comfort-

able of textiles, spread only slowly across the Old World, prob-

ably still not having reached Japan by the 300s c.e.

For ancient people in cold climates or places with cold

winters, textiles were valued for their ability to hold in

warmth. Th us, among the nomadic peoples of Asia, wool

was especially valued. It might be itchier than cotton or

linen, but where warmth mattered most, wool was preferred.

In warm climates, and even some with harsh winters but

warm summers, people oft en did without textiles, because

staying warm was not their highest priority for survival. In

Sumer people oft en wore only wool skirts; in southeastern

Asia and Japan, many people wore only loincloths, typically

made of animal skin. In India the notion of wearing cloth-

ing for modesty did not arrive until the Muslim invasion.

Still, in these places where textiles were not a necessity, they

were valued for their decorative possibilities. Someone in In-

dia who might wear little in everyday life would nonetheless

wish to wear colorful fabrics when attending a wedding or

other important social event.

Th e earliest colors for textiles were paint and dyes.

Painted textiles appeared in dry areas, such as the lands

northwest of China. More common than painted textiles

were dyed textiles, probably because dyes were preferred over

paint. Whether dyeing textiles was an idea that originated in

one place and then spread or was an idea that began in many

diff erent places is not clear, although the use of dyes by an-

cient Americans suggests that dyeing was an idea with diff er-

ent origins in diff erent places.

Th e use of dyes says much about human beings and their

needs. Although ancient textiles are hard to fi nd, those that

are extant are rarely plain brown or white. Usually the tex-

tiles are colored. Whether worn by the rich or the poor, they

almost always have decoration, indicating that people wanted

beauty in their lives even with simple textiles. Even embroi-

dery, oft en associated with richly decorated robes for special

occasions, would be used to brighten hems or add attractive

images to textiles for everyday use.

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