1st Edition

Women's Costume of the Near and Middle East

By Jennifer M. Scarce Copyright 2003

    The historical and cultural richness of the Near and Middle East is reflected visually in its costume. In this book, Jennifer Scarce makes brilliant use of years or research to provide a lucid acount of the development of women's dress from the fourteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Her study of costume is set in th ebroader context of the social and economic background of the Ottoman Empire, giving the subject a new an fascinating slant.
    A detailed discussion of cut and construction is accompanied by pattern layouts and numerous photographs which clearly illustrate the different styles of dress through the centuries.
    Women's costume of the Near and Middle East is a hitherto sadly neglected subject. After years of original research across the world, this gap has been admirably filled by Jennifer Scarce's scholarly readable study.

    List of Illustrations  List of Diagrams  Acknowledgements  Introduction  1. The Arrival and Establishment of the Ottomans  2. The Ottoman Inheritance - Byzantium  3. The Ottoman Inheritance - Central Asia  4. The Ottomans at Home - Mainly Istanbul  5. The Ottomans Abroad - South-East Europe  6. The Ottomans Abroad - The Arab World  7. Close and Distant Neighbours - Persian and Afghanistan  8. Conclusions  Notes  Select Bibliography

    Biography

    Jennifer Scarce

    'This is a really pleasant book to read ... [it] fills an obvious gap and with its notes and bibliography, it is a lovely introduction to the subject.' - Bulletin of the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East: Note and Queries

    'A very well-informed and readable portrayal. With its 128 photographs Women's Costume is extremely well illustrated without becoming a "costume piece" itself.' - Rezensionen