The first book on the subject of antique Azerbaijan silk embroideries, featuring previously unpublished research and material, by a selection of world-leading experts and scholars.

Published on the occasion of an important international loan exhibition at The Azerbaijan National Museum in Baku, this multi-author book is much more than a mere catalogue. Containing previously unpublished research and a wealth of previously hidden material from museums and private collections around the world, and written by a team of international museum professionals and independent scholars, it is the first co-ordinated and detailed study of the West Caspian region's characteristic silk embroideries. The book traces the history of embroidery in the Caucasus, the multi-cultural sources of domestic embroidery, iconography and designs in which the textile traditions of the Iranian and Turkic worlds meet, materials and needlework techniques, as well as the relationship between embroidery and the pile carpet weaving tradition in the region. Contents: 1 Silk Treasures of Azerbaijan, Alberto Boralevi & Asli Samadova 2 Historical Azerbaijan, Murray L. Eiland III 3 Caucasian Embroideries in Context, Penny Oakley 4 Safavid-style Domestic Embroideries from Historical Azerbaijan, 1550-1800, Michael Franses 5 Silk Culture in the Caucasus, Irina Koshoridze 6 Azerbaijan Embroidery Techniques, Jennifer Wearden 7 What Went Before to Make It as It Was? Caucasian Embroidered Textiles from The Textile Museum Collection, Sumru Belger Krody 8 Busily Engaged on Embroidery : Collecting and Curatorship for the V&A, Moya Carey 9 An Early Museum Collection: Azerbaijan Embroideries in the V&A, Penny Oakley 10 A Shared Design Lexicon: Azerbaijan Embroideries and Rugs, Brian Morehouse