Embellishment with glittering substances is a worldwide and ancient practice, found in Assyrian bas-reliefs, in the tombs of Scythian nomadic horsemen, the treasures of the pharaohs and in the burials of Andean cultures' high priests. Today these creations are a source of ideas in contemporary fashion and decoration. Victoria Rivers has spent more than a decade in the search for the most spectacular examples of a universally appealing phenomenon. Combining her artist's eye with an in-depth knowledge of textile techniques and drawing on an array of specialist and anthropological research from all the world's continents, she discusses and displays her subject in three main sections. The volume should be useful to anyone concerned with fashion and the textile industry, and anyone interested in symbol and ritual in the evolution of traditional societies.