This time, though, it's a German book - but if you can read a little German, or if you are interested in early Byzantine fabrics and textiles, it is definitely worth a look:

[caption id="attachment_2283" align="alignnone" width="468"]petras_buch The book, sitting on my table, waiting to be read. Non-photographable bonus: it has that utterly heavenly new-book smell.


Petra Linscheid has analysed and catalogued all the many Early Byzantine textiles kept in the RGZM, and the results of her work are now published in a catalogue with lots of good photographs, drawings and detailed descriptions. There's an introduction part, covering the provenance and history of the pieces, dating, technical details (including colours) and functions. The main part of the book, however, is the catalogue, where each of the 210 pieces is listed with a detailed description, and the 112 pages of plates with images and detail images for the pieces.

If you are interested in Early Byzantine textiles, you might want to get the book just for the pictures, even if you do not read German at all. (Though technical descriptions in catalogue entries are not hard to translate, so with a dictionary, you should be able to get the basic information on each piece as well.)

You can order the book directly from the publisher, Schnell & Steiner, or of course buy it at the bookstore of your choice. Cost is 55€, and the publisher offers free shipping for the book inside of Germany.