Gloves: An Intimate History

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

From hand-knitted mittens to exquisitely embroidered confections and Bluetooth-enabled gloves that function like a mobile phone, the extraordinary variety of gloves is a tribute to human ingenuity. So, too, is the diversity of their often contradictory cultural associations. Gloves have been linked to honour, status and identity, but also to decadence and deceit. Their powers have extended to marriage, magic and even murder.

This beautifully illustrated history of gloves draws on examples from across the world to explore their cultural significance. Anne Green explores gloves both as material objects with their own fascinating history, and as fictional creations from folktale, literature and film. That rich heritage lies behind the recent resurgence of gloves as items of high fashion.

Reviews

''Absolutely fascinating: a timely foray into the strange world of gloves in all their symbolic and functional glory.'' -- Claire Wilcox, senior curator of fashion, Victoria and Albert Museum, author of "Patch Work: A Life Amongst Clothes"

Author Bio

Anne Green is professor emeritus of French at King's College London. She is the author, most recently, of Gustave Flaubert, also published by Reaktion Books.