Italian and foreign textiles from the Middle Ages to the 19th Century are the focus of the new Historic Collections exhibition - a collection of over eighty textiles, items of clothing, accessories and fashion plates – at Prato Textile Museum.

Examining a wide variety of issues ranging from the effect of the influence of Arab and Byzantine cultures on the textile production of Lucca and Venice in the 13th century to the decorative patterns of the 15th century and the use of velvet as a symbol of wealth by kings, merchants and members of the church, the exhibition also examines distant manufacturing centres such as Turkey and the way in which the art of these areas influenced 16th century lampasses and damasks as well as the consolidation of textile manufacturing in Florence, Lucca and Genoa in the 17th century (and the resulting increase in the variety of technical and design effects adopted) and the changes brought about by spread of Orientalism in the 18th century (especially the confirmation of the French “bizarre”, “revel” and “dentelles” patterns). The exhibition thus illustrates the highly complex cross-references and variations in taste resulting from cultural interaction and commercial relations between Europe, the Middle East and the Orient. The new exhibition will also include a number of historic fashion plates recently donated to Prato Textile Museum by Hotel Berchielli in Florence.

As from Saturday 6 March, visitors to Prato Textile Mmuseum will also be able to enjoy a new Contemporary Section exhibition focusing on textile finishes. Little known to the public at large, the ennoblement or finishing of textiles – the final stage of the textile production process in which the textile is given its end appearance and feel – is a highly strategic process as far as the Prato textile district production system is concerned. Indeed, it was one of the main reason for the flourishing of the district in the 1970s and is still one of the features of the competitiveness of Prato companies whose success is based on an extremely high level of technical skill and innovation. The textiles included in the exhibition offer a wide-ranging overview of the most up-to-date finishing treatments and clear examples of how it is possible to give textiles a special appearance or feel via printing, laser treatment, embossing, anti-stain treatment, flame retarding and many other processes. Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to both view and touch the textiles and thus to recognize the various ways in which they have been transformed.