Textiles Asia Journal

Home
United States
New York, NY
Textiles Asia Journal

Materials, techniques, artistry, symbolism, historic and cultural significance of Asian textiles. John E. Vollmer serves as Advisor. McIntosh.

Launched in June of 2009, Textiles Asia is published three times a year. The articles are designed to inform readers about the fine materials, techniques, artistry, symbolism, historic and cultural significance of Asian textiles. Listings are included about current exhibitions, special tours and events related to Asian textiles across the world. Readers include, but are not limited to, collectors,

academics, museum curators and conservators; dealers; fashion and design professionals; crafts persons and enthusiastic novices. Textiles Asia will appeal to those with an established knowledge in all aspects of Asian textiles as well as to those who are just beginning their interest in this fascinating field. Textiles Asia is supported by an experienced editorial board: Dorothy Berry, Norrie Peel and Lisbet Rasmussen, all former executive committee members of the Textile Society of Hong Kong. Contributing Editors include: Rosemary Crill, Maria Wronska-Friend, Dale Gluckman, Gill Green, Anna Jackson, Sumru Belger Krody and Linda S. Roving Reporters are: John Ang in Kuala Lumpur, Wayne D. Barton in Toronto, Chris Buckley in the UK and Valerie Foley in New York. Promotion by Brooke Jaron, Japanese translation by Momoko Soma Welch, printing by CA Book Publishing.

12/10/2025

Khu Bua-style skirt, sin tiin chok. 1920-1950. A very unusual skirt type that is made in Ratchaburi Province. Photograph by Pattana Decha.© Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection. From: “Tai Yuan Textiles of Thailand” by Dr. Linda S. McIntosh, September 2012.

11/11/2025

Detail Sarung (sewn). Indramayu. Hand-drawn wax resist, vat-dyed on plain-weave cotton.108 x 99.5 cm (circumference: 199 cm). Bureau of the Royal Household, Inv. #20. Photo: QSMT 2018. The color scheme of blue and blue-black on this finely worked batik identifies it as coming from the Indramayu area. Thorny seaweed, suggesting the centipede and its protection against misfortune, along with peonies and phoenixes, fill the vertical bars framing the triangles. In the main field the large flowers have a distinct Indo-Persian flavor, obviously inspired by Indian chintz, while the peonies and phoenixes were adapted from Chinese sources. From: “West Javanese Batik in an Important Royal Thai Collection” by Judi Achjadi, May 2019. This article was drawn from the author’s contributions to the exhibition catalogue for for “A Royal Treasure: Javanese Batik from the Collection of King Chulalongkorn of Siam,” by Dale Carolyn Gluckman and Sarttarat Muddin, eds, QSMT, Bangkok, 2018.

10/27/2025

Child’s wind bonnet. Silk satin trimmed with embroidery and decorated with an applied rabbit on top.
Early to mid-20th century. The rabbit is the fourth sign in the Chinese zodiac. Those born in these years are thought to be particularly sensitive to beauty and are characteristically gracious and soft-spoken. They enjoy tranquility, practice caution and become good scholars as they go quietly, but determinedly, towards their goals. People born under the sign of the rabbit make few enemies and rarely get into serious trouble. They have good words to say about everyone, hence rabbit people often serve as diplomats and peacemakers. Although they often know more than they will let on, they are discreet in their choice of friends. No matter what happens, they seem to land on their feet and easily leap over obstacles in their path. Rabbits, while often perceived as timid, are supremely self-confident and easily find success and contentment. From: “Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit” by John E. Vollmer, January 2011. Courtesy of the Brooke and Dov Jaron Collection.
’sclothes

10/14/2025

A red silk dress hand woven with brocade (supplementary weft) technique in the village of Khoma in northeast Bhutan. From: “Textiles of Bhutan: Artistic Heritage and Vibrant Tradition” by Françoise Pommaret, PhD, September 2018. Photograph courtesy of Françoise Pommaret. weaving

09/20/2025

Hanuman Flag of the Navandanno caste (Perera,1916). Batik wall hanging by Ena de Silva. The main motif of this huge Ramayana wall hanging shows Vishvakarma holding the golden ring which he is handing to Hanuman who will take it to Sita, indicating Rama is coming to save her from the ravages of the evil King of Lanka, Rawana. From: “Ena de Silva and her Sri Lankan Batik Art” by Julia Gajewska-Pratt, September 2020. Collection C. Anjalendran. Photograph by David Robson.
3enedesilva

08/22/2025

Patchwork and embroidered hanging, Uzbekistan, c. 1870-1880. Crazy ikat. Courtesy Christine Martens. From: “Patchwork as Talisman” by Christine Martens, May 2024.

08/08/2025

The September 2025 Textiles Asia Journal contains:

Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles
by Lee Talbot.

In Search of Samite: a Fieldtrip Amongst Dai Weavers in Yunnan by Christopher Buckley and Sandra Sardjono

Carpets and Collections of the Swiss Alpine Area
by Thomas Murray

Exhibition Review: Textiles from Bengal: a Shared Legacy
by Rosemary Crill

100 Years of the Oey Soe Tjoen Batik Dynasty
by Rudolf Smend

Subscription rates: 1 year: US$60, 2 years: US$110. Payment can be made by US$ personal check, US$ bank check, through Zelle or by credit card through PayPal.
Please visit the website: www.textilesasia.com

07/30/2025

Ikat Kepala (Man’s Headcloth). Garut. Hand-drawn wax resist, vat-dyed on plain-weave cotton. 97.7 x 98 cm. Bureau of the Royal Household, Inv. #13. Photo: QSMT, 2018. Men’s headcloths from West Java are rare in modern collections. This example has a pattern inspired by the restricted Semen designs of the Central Javanese courts, but without the camouflaged meanings essential to that region. Note the tiny sequin-like motifs in the ground—each drawn by hand. The central diamond, however, is reminiscent of those found in some of the old kain simbut. From: “West Javanese Batik in an Important Royal Thai Collection” by Judi Achjadi, May 2019. This article was drawn from the author’s contributions to the exhibition catalogue for “A Royal Treasure: Javanese Batik from the Collection of King Chulalongkorn of Siam,” by Dale Carolyn Gluckman and Sarttarat Muddin, eds, QSMT, Bangkok, 2018.

07/21/2025

This exquisite textile is a piece of men’s clothing. Destined to be worn on very special occasions, on a silk background it combines supplementary warp and supplementary weft patterns all of which have a symbolic meaning. Some of the asymmetrical patterns demand more virtuosity from the weaver and increase the price and value of the textile. (Royal Textile Academy, winner of the 2017 NDAC Competition). From: “Textiles of Bhutan: Artistic Heritage and Vibrant Tradition” by Françoise Pommaret, PhD, September 2018. Photograph courtesy of Françoise Pommaret. weaving

07/13/2025

1920s qipao with Art Deco print. In the 1920s the ever-changing fabric designs and embroidery patterns ranged from traditional Chinese motifs to modern Art Deco designs. This range allowed women to pick the designs and colors of their choice. From: “The Evolution of the Qipao: From Manchu to China Chic” by Sally Yu Leung, September 2010. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.

07/02/2025

Quy Chau sin bok showing “palm-leaf” design. 107 cm by 67 cm. This style of woven hem is seen in photos from the late 1920’s, and the skirt probably dates from then Courtesy of Russell Howard. From: “Flower Skirts and Associated Textiles of the Tai Muang of Nghe An Province, Vietnam” by Russell Howard, September 2023.

06/15/2025

A richly embroidered qızıl kiymeshek with a bolder version of the qoralı gu’l pattern. The original Khivan adras has been replaced by Bukharan adras. It was acquired in Peshawar, NW Frontier Province, Pakistan. Richardson Collection. From: “The Qaraqalpaq Qızıl Kiymeshek” by David and Sue Richardson, September 2012.
# qızılkiymeshek # qaraqalpaq

Address

PO Box 20158, Columbus Circle Station
New York, NY
10023

Website

http://www.textilesasia.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Textiles Asia Journal posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Textiles Asia Journal:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company in New York?