OVERVIEW

The course will focus on the main weave structures of ancient textiles, both from a technical and a historical point of view. Moreover, adopting a Eurasian perspective, the course will deal with the main topics of the history of sumptuary textiles from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Some episodes of the fashion history between the Middle Ages and contemporary age will also be considered, especially between the 18th and 20th centuries.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing methodological instruments and advanced skills for the analysis and multi-level comprehension of the historical fabrics and artistic, cultural, and social phenomena related to the textile medium.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main educational goals are:

• To introduce students to the principles elaborated from the CIETA (Centre international d’étude des textiles anciens) of Lyon for the technical analysis of ancient textile, and lead to the proper use of this method in recognition of the main simple and complex weaves;
• To provide a critical frame for the artistic and historical contextualization of the textile sumptuary artefacts in the ages, highlighting their prominence in the pre-modern system of the arts and the precociously globalized dimension of the textile medium circulation;
• To provide interpretative keys for studying the costume and fashion history, following a diachronic perspective that could emphasize the semantic variety of the dressing practices.

At the end of the course, students are expected to identify the most important weave structures and manage the CIETA form and standards for analyzing and classifying historical textiles. They will be able to recognize the stylistic, artistic and historical main tendencies of the sumptuary textile items from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, and the most important episodes of the fashion up to the 20th century, critically reading the main cultural phenomena related to the European history of textiles and costume.

PREREQUISITES

Basic skills of history of art from Middle Ages to 20th century.

TEACHING METHODS

Classes are held in person. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. The lecturer, at the specific request of a student (by e-mail), may allow him/her to follow classes remotely via “Teams” platform.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course consists of two modules.

The first module regards principles of textile analysis, classification and cataloguing. The main topics are:

• Introduction to CIETA vocabulary and cataloguing (technical dossier and dictionary);
• Textile fibers and metallic threads (manufacturing, kinds and identification);
• Loom (different kinds and structures);
• The basic weaves (tabby, twill, satin...) and the derived from them;
• Figured textiles.

The second module analyses the history of the sumptuary fabrics from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, also mentioning case studies related to the history of fashion until the 20th century. The main topics are:

• Recurrent characteristics and cultural phenomena in the pre-modern age fabrics: polycentrism, mobility, interaction, sumptuary cloths as global cultural migrant;
• The beginning of the silk industry and its travel from China to the Mediterranean: Eurasia and the silk roads;
• The birth of the Italian silk manufactures in the late Middle Ages: textile kinds and production processes;
• Fashion and Modern;
• The Italian Renaissance fabrics: luxury in the courts;
• European 17th and 18th centuries: technic and stylistic innovations;
• Fashion and alterity;
• Industrial revolution and new forms of fashion consumption.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARIA LUDOVICA ROSATI (President)

GIANLUCA AMERI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Thursday 22 September 2022

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

Exam schedule