Textiles and clothing are indispensable parts of our lives, with around 1 in every 8 workers employed in the industry globally. Historically, textiles and clothing have also been vectors of mutual exchange and influence between cultures. Despite this, their significant role in connecting us is sometimes overlooked.

This volume of the Thematic Collection of Cultural Exchanges along the Silk Roads takes us around the world, from Java to West Africa, Scandinavia to the Philippines. It charts a fascinating history, from the ways in which patterns and dyes were elements of cultural imitation, hybridisation and exchange, to how particular motifs and symbols were adopted across cultures and used as means to influence.