Library

National and International Publications on SEA Textiles

GOLD CLOTHS OF SUMATRA. INDONESIA’S SONGKETS FROM CEREMONY TO COMMODITY. Catalog

Author: Susan Rodgers, Ann Summerfield. John Summerfield, 2007. 137pg. (English). Softcover.
Publisher: KITLV Press, Leiden, Netherlands

The volume Gold Cloths of Sumatra functions as a catalog for the 2007 exhibition of Sumatran songkets held at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Its exposition of historical context and technical detail is lucid and engaging. The three authors extend beyond the scope of earlier nineteenth-century studies of Minangkabau masterpieces, illuminating both the geographical diffusion of production and the cultural resonance of songket for contemporary enthusiasts.

GROWING PAINS. The Chinese and the Dutch in Colonial Java 1890 – 1942

Author: Mona Lohanda, 2002, 272pg. (English). Softcover
Publisher: Yayasan Cipta Loka Caraka,Jakarta

Focusing on a particular segment of the Chinese community in Java—namely, the Indies-born peranakan—the author seeks to elucidate a distinctive cultural trait that significantly shaped Dutch ambivalence and indecision in managing Chinese affairs within the colony. Many Chinese peranakan cherished their sentimental ties to China, yet simultaneously identified themselves as children of Indonesia, the land of their birth. Despite their cultural distinctiveness, this dual orientation rendered Dutch policy toward the Chinese inconsistent and often contradictory.

GUIDE TO FASHION DESIGN

Author: Michie Sone, 1991, 279pg. (English) Softcover
Publisher: Bunka Publishing Bureau, Japan

This reference catalog encompasses a curated selection of 2,160 clothing items, systematically sampled for the benefit of fashion students. Each entry is accompanied by its designation in English, thereby facilitating both linguistic accessibility and disciplinary study. The compilation serves not merely as a list but as a structured resource intended to support academic inquiry into garment typologies, nomenclature, and cross-cultural fashion literacy.

HANDWOVEN TEXTILES OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Author: Silvia Fraser-Lu, 1988, 229pg. (English). Softcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, United Kingdom

This richly illustrated and pioneering volume offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of the intricate yet often overlooked textile traditions of Southeast Asia. The author presents a nuanced historical overview, accompanied by a rigorous examination of weaving techniques and symbolic motifs. Furthermore, the work provides an exhaustive survey of both historical and contemporary textiles produced across the region, illuminating their profound connections to the economic structures, social practices, and religious life of Southeast Asian communities.

HEADWRAPS, A Global Journey

Author: Georgia Scott, 2003. 209[gs. (English). Hardcover
Publisher: Public Affairs, New York

In Headwraps, Georgia Scott retraces a whirlwind year of global travel during which she immersed herself in the diverse cultural practices surrounding head coverings. She meticulously researched stylistic variations, documented the folklore attached to these traditions, and captured striking photographic evidence of headwraps across continents. The resulting volume is not merely a visual catalogue but a compelling ethnographic narrative, enriched with anecdotes that illuminate humanity’s enduring and enigmatic impulse to adorn and conceal the head.

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