From hand-knitted mittens to exquisitely embroidered confections and Bluetooth-enabled gloves that function like a mobile phone, the extraordinary variety of gloves is a tribute to human ingenuity. So, too, is the diversity of their often contradictory cultural associations. Gloves have been linked to honour, status and identity, but also to decadence and deceit. Their powers have extended to marriage, magic and even murder.

This beautifully illustrated history of gloves draws on examples from across the world to explore their cultural significance. Anne Green explores gloves both as material objects with their own fascinating history, and as fictional creations from folktale, literature and film. That rich heritage lies behind the recent resurgence of gloves as items of high fashion.