Sufi Lovers, Safavid Silks and Early Modern Identity is the 2023 winner of the R. L. Shep Award. It was selected as the best book published in 2023 in the field of ethnic textile studies by TSA’s panel of judges. The committee members noted that the book brings the highest standard of research and scholarship to a topic of significance to the field of global textile studies and presents its material in a manner that is accessible and engaging for the public as well as for textile scholars.
An engaging single-author work by Dr. Nazanin Hedayat Munroe, a New York-based artist, curator, and art historian, the book demonstrates exceptional scholarship. Dr. Munroe is currently Director of Textile Technology and Assistant Professor in the Business and Technology of Fashion program at NYC College of Technology, City University of New York. The book was published by Amsterdam University Press.
Sufi Lovers, Safavid Silks and Early Modern Identity presents a study on Safavid Iran’s figural silks, linking textile imagery to Persian literary epics. This deeply researched monograph draws attention to one particular genre of the famed figural silks of Safavid Iran: scenes from the love stories of Layla and Majnun and Khusrau and Shirin, inspired by the earlier epic Persian poetry of the Khamsa (Quintet). Drawing on literary analysis, associated artworks, and close analysis of the textile imagery and techniques, Munroe suggests new attributions for the cloth’s sites of production and its significance for wearers.
The award committee had the pleasure of reading and examining over 20 books with 2023 imprints from publishers around the world, each of which was beautifully researched, written, and produced. We are especially pleased to award a book coming from an independent press based outside North America and Europe and to celebrate with them this author’s achievement.
The R. L. Shep Memorial Book Award is given annually to the publication judged to be the best book of the year in the field of global cultural heritage textile studies. The award consists of a monetary award funded by an endowment established by R. L. Shep in 2000. The purpose of this award is to encourage the study and understanding of textile traditions by recognizing and rewarding exceptional scholarship that focuses on textiles through the lens of cultural practices and ancestral heritage. The endowment is administered by the Textile Society of America Board, which appoints the R. L. Shep Memorial Book Award Committee to evaluate nominated books.
The current award committee members are Dr. Sarah Fee (Chair), Dr. Nina Capistrano Baker, and Dr. Julia Hendon. Nina Baker will serve as next year’s Chair, and the call for nominations for books published in 2024 will be announced by TSA in Spring 2025.
For questions and further information about the award, please contact the TSA Awards Committee: Vandana Bhandari, Director of Awards and Scholarships (vb@vandanabhandari.com), or TSA Executive Director Ashley Occhino (director@textilesocietyofamerica.org).
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