The Early Textiles Study Group is hosting a conference called "Precious Cloth and Court Culture AD 400-1600", which takes place at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, on September 16 and 17.
The conference will explore court textiles and furnishings from both European and Asian courts. It will examine precious cloth as symbol of power and authority across the medieval world. Individual speakers drawn from institutions across England and from abroad (and including prominent independent scholars), will explore many aspects of the chosen theme. They will examine weave, braid and lace techniques, iconography and symbolism of precious cloth motifs, the role of the public display of the precious textiles (ceremonial and ritual), and many further issues (social, political, ecclesiastical, and economic impacts of precious cloth across cultures from the West to the Near East).
You can find more information about the conference, including the programme (which sounds very interesting) plus a booking form, here.