As the subtitle says, Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets by Dorothy Armstrong tells the history of the world in 12 carpets. Armstrong takes the textiles we literally walk on and uses them as jumping-off points for examining the project of empire. I can’t understate how rapt I was reading this book. I’ve always had complicated feelings about loving museums despite how they connect to empire, colonialism, genocide, etc. Indeed, this book told the complete story of a carpet I’ve personally admired at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and completely changed my mind about its significance.
Carpets are extremely particular to the people—and more broadly, the culture—who make them. This book spends a lot of time on carpets found outside of their original cultural context. How to interpret these objects is anything but simple. Imagine an international leader proudly displaying a rug traditionally made by people who they’ve actively oppressed. It’s that kind of hypocritical and cruel act you can learn to recognize if you read this book.
Another chapter examines the narratives we tell ourselves about our cultures. Do the textiles we create align with those narratives or not? Textiles, with “text” right in the name, always tell their own stories once you learn how to read them. It’s no surprise when the stories clash. We all live in worlds full of contradictions. What’s so great about this book is that it doesn’t try to neatly resolve any of these paradoxes. Carpets can be rare and special; they are also extremely functional and commonplace. People pour unfathomable amounts of work into something meant to be walked on, so we can honor that labor by learning more about these carpets and what they represent.