| Acknowledgements | 7 |
| Preface | 9 |
| 1 | The Threads of North African History | 11 |
| 2 | Food of the Loom: Raw Materials and Technology | 27 |
| 3 | The Patterns of Life | 43 |
| 4 | Display and Modesty: Textiles for Marriage | 61 |
| 5 | Textiles of Town and Country | 83 |
| 6 | Beyond the Loom: Non-woven Designs and Techniques | 99 |
| 7 | Secular and Sacred: The Textiles of Ethiopia | 119 |
| 8 | Continuity and Change | 133 |
| Bibliography | 140 |
| Glossary | 142 |
| Index | 143 |