Since the dawn of time, mankind has needed food, shelter and protection from the elements. Ancient men and women searched the natural world to find their supplies, and cloth was eventually created out of the items they found. Cotton, linen, wool and silk are four of the materials they found to twist and weave into cloth. When leisure was available, they dyed and decorated these items. Eventually, the textile industry came into being as mankind refined their artistic skills.

Decorated cloth was often worn by ancient man, but other uses were found over time. Tapestries and rugs were the first items used to decorate habitations that were not worn, and they developed into their own form of art over the centuries. Mankind continued to expand its artistic reach into other areas with this versatile material, and textile arts are now an integral part of the modern world.