Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 275 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-275). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (M.Arch.(Prof.))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

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The clothes and domestic textiles of the sixteenth century were, next to food, one of the absolute necessities for humankind to survive. This study examines the different types and constructions of textiles closely, using an historical approach, reading original documentation and viewing the scarce fragments of remaining examples. Due to the class of society being considered and the fragility of the textiles, other rare samples, from beyond the sixteenth century needed to be considered to try and assemble a true picture of the textiles available. Agriculture, demography, geography and history have all been drawn upon. The lack of actual samples and the chasm in information regarding these forgotten items of daily living have been continually assessed and evaluated. Other themes addressed include: the relationship of the yeoman in society through sumptuary law; their respect for and association with nature for raw materials; and innovation in improving their skills. Practical attempts to reveal an authentic colour palette of the yeoman world, although not conclusive, have permitted a fresh approach for further enquiry. This research includes detailed worksheets and various hand woven samples which support the practical element of this study, giving a valuable foundation for further investigation. This original work will be of educational value in portraying this sector of society, so easily overlooked because of the grandeur of the sixteenth century nobility. The samples provide tactile experiences reinforcing, the need of textiles to be 'fit for purpose'. Many skills from this period have been lost to future generations, only recreations based on balanced and empiric judgements will help evaluate the of these forgotten fabrics

Since its inception in the late 1970s, the academic field of design research has lacked significant input from textile design. Textile design inhabits a liminal space that spans art, design, craft; the decorative and functional; from handiwork to industrial manufacture. This PhD by thesis, although recognizing this particularity, asserts textile design as a design discipline and seeks to address key questions that define a design discipline (Archer 1979). Specific factors have prevented the participation of textile design in the development of design theory: the universalism of the Modernist age decried many of the innate characteristics of textiles despite the fact that the versatility of textiles has made it one of the most appropriate mediums for its message. This suppression points to the femininely gendered nature of textiles and how this affected the participation of textile designers in the development of design research. Addressing this historical and cultural context necessitated the utilization of feminist qualitative research methods in a methodology that references matrixial theory (Ettinger 2006) and relationality. Encounters, conversations, stories, drawings, metaphor, meshing and restorying are all key research methods used in this study. In its autoethnographic approach, my position as a textile designer and as the researcher is frequently foregrounded, and is also blended with the experiences of other textile designers. The study unfolds and expands in a non-linear way, structure and outcome co-evolving through my contingent thinking and activity. Theory and texts are montaged from anthropology, philosophy, literature, cognitive psychology and psychoanalysis to define key characteristics of textile design and its associated thinking, both tacit and explicit. These characteristics are then placed into the context of the design research agenda, with particular reference to design thinking and problem-solving. This both strengthens the position of textiles as a design discipline and highlights its anomalies. Through analysing the articulation of textile design practice and thinking, this study proposes an alternative perspective on design thinking and problem-solving in design which contrasts with the notions of divergence followed by convergence which are predominant in design research literature. It suggests that textile design thinking is fundamentally dimensionally expansive yet set in tense relation to external forces of folding and rhizomatic breakage (Deleuze 1993/1999, Deleuze & Guattari 1987/2008). This paradigm of design thinking rests upon the significance of long-established textile metaphors for the embodied and interconnected activities of cognition and action, and is indicative of particular views of post- Postmodernist thought. Based on this, as well as on other key characteristics of textile design process and thinking that have been defined, pedagogic implications are discussed and specific areas of current design research discourse which would benefit from greater involvement from textile designers and theorists are explored.

The problem addressed in this paper was the appropriateness of fiber, especially in the form of fabric, as an art medium. Relevant statements by crafts makers, philosophers, art critics, and artists were investigated along with historical and contemporary art and craft works.

The present study concerns the use of native materials in craft problems which might be used profitably in public schools. The purpose of the research and experiments was fourfold: first, to make available information on the utility of certain native materials which the writer believed would be helpful to people interested in crafts; second, to acquaint interested individuals with native dye plants; third, to encourage a wide use of native materials; and fourth, to work out for use in public schools a series of craft problems utilizing native materials.

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the manufacture of metalworking ceramics in late prehistoric Scotland (ca 1000BC – AD800) from the perspective of ceramic technology and with the aim to reconstruct social and material trajectories. This has been implemented through the use of an integrated analytical methodology, interpreted by developing current theories on technology. Previous studies of metalworking ceramics in Scotland have rarely paid full attention to ceramic technology; research has instead focused on metallurgical issues such as metal identification and material morphology. This is central for answering questions regarding metallurgical processes, but fails to answer important questions regarding the technology and manufacture of the ceramic material. The successful production of moulds and crucibles requires that a craft specialist has expert skills in the preparation and firing of clay as well as understanding of the process and design of metal casting. This makes metalworking ceramics an important resource for investigating variation in individual skill and experience, cultural traditions, and scale of production. The main focus is on moulds and crucibles, but parallels, both in terms of method and theory, are made to other types of metalworking ceramics and pottery. The technological relationship between pottery and metalworking ceramics is therefore a vital link in the assessment of production and technological traditions. In addition, clays from a number of sites have been sampled, with the goal to monitor the utilization of clays for the production of different ceramic materials. Materials from nine primary sites, from Traprain Law (East Lothian) in the south to Mine Howe (Orkney) in the north, are central to the discussion of ceramic technologies. The context of casting and crafts from further sites in Scotland and beyond has been essential in the reconstruction of casting production in the late prehistoric period. Developing from ideas of technology as an active process, this study has investigated the collection and preparation of clays to make different ceramic materials. This investigation has employed a range of analytical techniques frequently applied to the study of archaeological ceramics, including ceramic petrography, Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Spectrometry and X-Ray Diffraction. The focus has been on technology; studies of provenance are auxiliary to the broader questions. It is a central conclusion of this work that the production of metalworking ceramics saw a development towards a more specialised function and technology during the late prehistoric period, and that this development was closely related to material traditions, to some extent transcending wider social trajectories. This research, highlighting particular and general technologies, has showed that the study of ceramic technology of moulds and crucibles can be a valuable resource for the study metallurgical production and technology.