Damask
Damask (
There are a few types of damask: true, single, compound, and twill. True damask is made entirely of silk.[3] Single damask has only one set of warps and wefts and thus is made of up to two colors. Compound damask has more than one set of warps and wefts and can include more than two colors.[3] Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern.[4]
History
A damask weave is one of the five basic weaving techniques—the others being tabby, twill, Lampas, and tapestry—of the early Middle Ages Byzantine and Middle Eastern weaving centers. Damask was named after the city Damascus, Syria a large trading center on the Silk Road.[5]
Damask in China
In China, draw looms with a large number of heddles were developed to weave damasks with complicated patterns.[6] The Chinese may have produced damasks as early as the Tang dynasty (618–907).[7] Damasks became scarce after the 9th century outside Islamic Spain, but were revived in some places in the 13th century. Trade logs between The British East India Company and China often demonstrate an ongoing trade of Chinese silks, especially damask.[8] Damask is documented as being the heaviest Chinese silk.[8]
Damask in Europe
The word damask first appeared in a Western European language in mid-14th century French records.
Damask and Nomads
In daily nomadic life this form of weaving was generally employed by women, specifically in occupations such as carpet-making.[11] Women collected raw material from pasture animals and dyes from local flora, such as berries, insects, or grasses, to use in production.[11] Each woman would create a specialized pattern sequence and color scheme that aligned with her personal identity and ethnic group.[11] These techniques were passed down generationally from mother to daughter.[11]
Modern usage
In the 19th century, the invention of the
Modern damasks are woven on computerized Jacquard looms.[12] Damask weaves are commonly produced in monochromatic (single-colour) weaves in silk, linen or synthetic fibres such as rayon and feature patterns of flowers, fruit and other designs. The long floats of satin-woven warp and weft threads cause soft highlights on the fabric which reflect light differently according to the position of the observer. Damask weaves appear most commonly in table linens and furnishing fabrics, but they are also used for clothing.[6] The damask weave is prevalent in the fashion industry due to its versatility and high-quality finish. Damask is often used for mid-to-high-quality garments—associating itself with higher quality brands/labels.
See also
- Diapering (damask patterns in heraldry)
References
- ^ JSTOR 3794229.
- OCLC 65197813.
- ^ a b c "Damask | Damask Weaving, Silk Fabric, Jacquard Loom | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ISSN 1543-950X.
- ISBN 0-521-34107-8, p. 343.
- ^ ISBN 0-500-28247-1.
- ^ "A World of Looms: Weaving Technology and Textile Arts in China and Beyond". China National Silk Museum. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ JSTOR 1180762.
- ^ "Damas" etymology (in French). www.cnrtl.fr accessed 2 March 2021
- ^ Monnas, Lisa. Merchants, Princes and Painters: Silk Fabrics in Italian and Northern Paintings 1300–1550. New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008, pp. 295–299
- ^ OCLC 1121577357.
- ISBN 0-13-118769-4, p. 251