Ms St Clair presents a historical account of humanity not through the lenses which are often used such as war, exploration, and communicable diseases, but through the perspective of thread and cloth, of which the making has been done in a large part by women, so much so, that the word spinster, one who spins, once was laudatory, meaning a financially independent woman. Since the nature of fabric is ephemeral and historians often write from a masculine perspective, the key, pervasive, interlocking influence of spindle, needle, and loom has been overlooked.
This fascinating book is divided into mostly chronological chapters starting with the prehistoric era right up to the present. Linen, silk (worm, spider, and mollusc), wool, cotton, silver/gold threads, and synthetics are all discussed and not just the processes by which they are made, but also how the fruits of this labour-intensive work have manifested in every strata and activity of society, be it domestic, cultural, artistic, technological, commercial, scientific, and martial.
Her writing has a buoyant, friendly touch as it delivers the goods of information delineating her theme, and at times shines with brilliance as when she describes Vermeer's painting, The Lacemaker :
There are two kinds of spider silk, one for insect-catching webs and the other for threads which they use to travel through the air. The latter has extreme strength and is the focus of researchers. The trend at present is more to leave the spider alone and instead try to duplicate spider silk through chemical means.
Ms St Clair has written that kind of book which earns its place on your shelf because at any point you may feel bored, with your life, with yourself, with others, just pick a page, any page, and you will be transported into a world that is way more interesting and entertaining.
À la prochaine!
OTHER BOOK REVIEWS
Book review / Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Warner Townsend
Book Review / Against Empathy by Paul Bloom
Book Review / The Tulip by Anna Pavord
Book Review / The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt by Robert I. Sutton
Book Review / Florike Egmond's An Eye For Detail: Images of Plants and Animals in Art and Science, 1500-1630
RELATED LINKS
The Golden Thread at Amazon
Kassia St Clair at Twitter
British Museum Botswanian spider silk hat with ostrich feather
This fascinating book is divided into mostly chronological chapters starting with the prehistoric era right up to the present. Linen, silk (worm, spider, and mollusc), wool, cotton, silver/gold threads, and synthetics are all discussed and not just the processes by which they are made, but also how the fruits of this labour-intensive work have manifested in every strata and activity of society, be it domestic, cultural, artistic, technological, commercial, scientific, and martial.
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| Blue-flowering flax which is used in the making of linen (stock photo) |
Her writing has a buoyant, friendly touch as it delivers the goods of information delineating her theme, and at times shines with brilliance as when she describes Vermeer's painting, The Lacemaker :
A girl looks down at the work between her hands, utterly absorbed. She's seated in a spare, pale room - so bereft of detail that it's difficult to say whether it is a room at all or a void, hollowed out by her singular focus. Her dress is a glowing lemon shade; her hair is gathered away from her face in a coif of plaits and large ringlets. Our eyes follow hers: down between her fingers to the 'V' formed by a pair of bobbins she is using to create a piece of lace . . . Vermeer's luminous canvases, previously so sought after, furred with dust in his studio as the wealth of his erstwhile patrons evaporated like puddles on a hot day.
The significant drawbacks of synthetic fabric manufacturing are unsparingly presented in terms of pronounced damage done to workers' health and nature, all so we can have disposable clothing. Made for fickle fashion and rapid turnover beneficial for corporate profits and their shareholders, these clothes may make the wearer feel good for a short time, but in the long run, it's a net negative for everybody.
The Golden Thread is packed with intriguing quotes, accounts, and informational background that it is near to impossible to pick just one area upon which to elaborate. For me it was a tug of war between space voyage garments, especially regarding moon exploration and spider silk. Well, those spiders yanked that rope so hard, they won. Not surprisingly as they have been inspiring humans since early times. The Greek philosopher Democritus noted that seeing spiders spin their egg sacs and weave webs most likely spurred us in the direction of doing something similar. Spiders also probably influenced the making of nets, lures, and traps. If that wasn't enough, dressings made from spider silk have demonstrated antiseptic qualities.
Harvesting spider silk goes back quite a ways especially across Africa. However, to this day, the silkworm reigns supreme commercially. Problems include spiders eating each other, their requiring huge amounts of insects for nourishment (all those mulberry leaves that need to be gathered for silkworms comparatively appear less daunting), and extracting enough spider silk.
The Golden Thread is packed with intriguing quotes, accounts, and informational background that it is near to impossible to pick just one area upon which to elaborate. For me it was a tug of war between space voyage garments, especially regarding moon exploration and spider silk. Well, those spiders yanked that rope so hard, they won. Not surprisingly as they have been inspiring humans since early times. The Greek philosopher Democritus noted that seeing spiders spin their egg sacs and weave webs most likely spurred us in the direction of doing something similar. Spiders also probably influenced the making of nets, lures, and traps. If that wasn't enough, dressings made from spider silk have demonstrated antiseptic qualities.
Harvesting spider silk goes back quite a ways especially across Africa. However, to this day, the silkworm reigns supreme commercially. Problems include spiders eating each other, their requiring huge amounts of insects for nourishment (all those mulberry leaves that need to be gathered for silkworms comparatively appear less daunting), and extracting enough spider silk.
 |
| Botswanian spider silk hat with ostrich feather, late 19C |
There are two kinds of spider silk, one for insect-catching webs and the other for threads which they use to travel through the air. The latter has extreme strength and is the focus of researchers. The trend at present is more to leave the spider alone and instead try to duplicate spider silk through chemical means.
Ms St Clair has written that kind of book which earns its place on your shelf because at any point you may feel bored, with your life, with yourself, with others, just pick a page, any page, and you will be transported into a world that is way more interesting and entertaining.
À la prochaine!
OTHER BOOK REVIEWS
Book review / Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Warner Townsend
Book Review / Against Empathy by Paul Bloom
Book Review / The Tulip by Anna Pavord
Book Review / The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt by Robert I. Sutton
Book Review / Florike Egmond's An Eye For Detail: Images of Plants and Animals in Art and Science, 1500-1630
Book Review / Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal
Baking From Around The World by Jessamyn Waldman
Rodriguez with Julia Turshen
Book Review/The Confidence Game: The Psychology Of The Con And Why We Fall For It Every Time By Maria Konnikova
Book Review / The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates
RELATED LINKS
The Golden Thread at Amazon
Kassia St Clair at Twitter
British Museum Botswanian spider silk hat with ostrich feather