Towards Textile Narratives: A Cross-Over Perspective on Textile Imagery in Statuary, Iconography, and Literature

Abstract

Textiles and clothing constitute a fundamental element of our cultural past, present, and future. Therefore, they were also represented in many mediums, such as iconographic depictions and literature. Images are a source of visual and mental illustration and are often dependent on the viewer’s perspective. As a result, the representations of textiles convey social constructions and their cultural perception. Their study is the focal point of this article: The ways in which textiles and clothing are described by the imagery shown in Greek and Roman statuary and iconography, as well as in contemporary Albanian literature and mythology. Representations illustrate the colorful, vibrant, complex and valuable reality that textiles and dress embodied. They visually tell past stories, for a particular audience, and place, but foremost with intention. It is the purpose behind textile depictions that is of interest, as it offers an insight into the conception, roles, usage, and views on textiles and garments in the past. Those are the kind of stories we want to investigate, so-called textile narratives. Iconographic evidence will be center stage in this effort of understanding past perceptions of textiles and dress. Therefore, it is crucial to indicate what our own definition of iconography is. This term is often used to conjointly gather all images and different artwork expressions, no matter the support or technique: Sculptures, mosaics, wall-paintings, vase decorations, coinage, and so much more. As C. Brøns and S. Harris perfectly summarize, “iconography is the study of representations in its many forms.” That same vision and definition is what this article refers to.