Textile enthusiasts, the ultimate reference you've been waiting for is here--Ikat! Ikat: The Essential Handbook to Weaving with Resists is your introduction to the fundamentals of a resurging trend in woven cloth. Award-winning weaver and instructor Mary Zicafoose has spent more than 30 years exploring the possibilities of ikat and now shares her wealth of knowledge with you. Dig into the pages of this handbook to discover: • Historical background on ikat with gorgeous visual refernces. • Instruction in warp, weft, and double ikat techniques, written and illustrated in clear sequential steps. • Instructions to build ikat wrapping boards. • An addendum on painted "faux" ikat using dye pastes and brushes. • Acid and indigo dye system recipes and procedures. • Compelling projects with detailed instruction taking you from undyed yarn to woven ikat cloth. • A gallery of contemporary ikat created by a range of diversely talented dyers and weavers. All this and more is waiting for you in Ikat: The Essential Handbook to Weaving with Resists.

What knowledge is conserved about ikat textiles and their use in the Indonesian archipelago consists primarily of the records of missionary and scientific fieldwork, predominantly compiled by non-Indonesians. The coverage is thin-many weaving regions are covered by only one or two sources, and several regions have never been studied in detail. Much traditional knowledge is being lost, especially in the more remote island regions in the Indonesian archipelago, which require a concerted effort if any trace of their culture is to survive. UMAG hopes to contribute to the broader project by means of this publication, which shows ikat culture through a close reading of examples from over fifty weaving regions-several covered for the first time-and an introduction to the conditions, beliefs and customs of the various peoples who have created and used them. The book was enriched by the collaboration of twelve region-specific experts who gave critical feedback on chapters or provided details on techniques and motifs that only they could have provided. - Verlagsangaben.

The Kitt Peak National Observatory is located in the Quinlan Mountains, southwest of Tucson, Arizona. For more than 40 years, astronomers have used the telescopes here to make many remarkable discoveries about the Universe. Today, Kitt Peak is the most visited astronomical observatory site in the world. With over twenty telescopes of different types and sizes, the site gives visitors an indication of the great diversity of modern astronomy. This guide gives a comprehensive tour of the Kitt Peak telescopes, and introduces some of the important science that is done with them. It also points out some of the beautiful surrounding scenery, and gives an idea of what it is like to be an astronomer on the mountain. The book will enable visitors to make the most of their trip, and contains color-coded walking tours of the telescopes.

Centuries old, the ikat technique is a complex sequence of tie-dying silk threads to create elaborate patterns in striking colors before weaving. This invaluable introduction to the magnificent ikats of Central Asia sets the creation of these fabrics into the context of a long history of textile production that once centered around the trade of the famous Silk Road. Illustrated throughout with glorious examples, Central Asian Ikats examines the social significance and various functions of these fabrics in Central Asian culture, as well as describing the fascinating and complex techniques involved in making them. The book accompanies an exhibition opening in November 2007.

This is the first study to focus on ikat of the Timor region from a technical perspective, including microscopy and design analysis of asymmetry, an understudied subject. Paradoxically, this technical perspective highlights the human factor. Focused on the last century of the colonial period, we see the weaver's decisions in close-up, as if we are sitting next to her. This yields rich insights, not just in materiality, but also in the weavers' creativity. Asymmetry is widely distributed in the region, yet has largely been ignored. This is curious, because asymmetry is highly interesting: it goes against ikat's technical diktat (which prescribes the production of two identical panels in parallel), hence requires extra work. Seven distinct ways to achieve asym­metry are differentiated, including visual tricks and illusions, flagrant displays of virtuosity, and intellectual superiority. On Sumba, women of the nobility made thrilling and amusing efforts to hide their virtuosity, dyeing into their men's cloths tiny visual devices, secret keys, which revealed that their work was not just good, but luar biasa, out of the ordinary. Ironically, because these late 19th- and early 20th-century dyers were such great masters at hiding their virtuosity, it remained overlooked by generations of researchers. Taking up Marie Jeanne Adams's 1969 call, so far unheeded, to deepen the study of Indonesian ikat textiles by means of microscopy, the author shot thousands of micro-photographs, allowing a study of yarn development over time, as well as the differentiation of 21 distinct weave types, a number far exceeding expectation, and their distribution across 41 ikat weaving regions in the Indonesian archipelago. In the final chapter, the author analyses what may have spurred the weavers of the region to create their most intricate, most time consuming, feats of artistry, and develops a view of these women as far more inventive and intelligent than they have been credited with before - and more assertive, using ikat's prestige to spin their men into a web of taboos and prescriptions.

This volume deals in depth with Indian textiles in the ikat technique. It is based on the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of ikats from all over India, many of which date from the mid-19th century, and represent aspects of weaving and dyeing that no longer survive in their places of origin. A complex form of resist-dyeing in which threads are patterned before weaving, ikat has been used in India since at least the early centuries AD. Over 100 pieces are discussed and illustrated, from the satin-weave mashurs of South India and the silk patola from Gujarat, to simple cotton saris from Orissa and Tamil Nadu and subtly-coloured rumals from Andhra Pradesh. Further sections explore the influence of Indian ikat on the textile traditions of other areas, including South-East Asia, the Middle East and Europe.