Damask Fabrics, Brocade Fabrics, Tapestries Fabrics

Source: http://www.textilefabric.com

When one hears the term tapestry, the large hand wovenpictorial wall hangings of medieval and later northern Europe come to mind.Although an ancient craft, the turbulent social and economic conditions of thisperiod probably account for the fact that no significant industry developeduntil the early fourteenth century. The oldest known hand woven tapestries arefrom the tombs of Tuthmosis IV and Tutankhamun, dating from C. 1400 BC to 1330BC. From around 1300 archival records show that tapestries with simpleembellishments were being woven in Paris and Arras. Other important tapestrycenters were Beauvais, Aubusson, and Brussels. The term tapestry has also beenused to identify any pictorial weaving or needlework.

Large-figured designs, which include tapestry, are woven onthe jacquard loom. Other fabrics made on a jacquard loom include damask andbrocade. Punched cards or computers control the individual warp yarnsindependently. Many of these looms are integrated with computer aided designsystems. Computer design patterns are programmed into jacquard looms forautomatic design formation. Jacquard weaves lend themselves to complexpictorial and other patterning effects. Infinite changes of the weft yarns arepossible, which enables the tapestry weaver, when the subject is pictorial, toimitate the graduations of tone achieved by the oil painter.

Damask

Damask fabrics have a satin float on a satin background withthe floats of each running in the opposite direction. Damask patterns are moresubtle and produced by the slight difference luster from the light reflectedfrom the two different areas. Damask can be made of any fiber content and inmany different weights for apparel or home furnishings. The quality of damaskfabrics depends on yarn count. Low-count damasks are not durable because of themany floats, which become loose and snag or slip during use. Damask is a popularchoice for tablecloths. The "white-on-white" is a familiar patternalong with the red and white checked damasks popular in restaurants.

Brocade

Brocade fabrics have satin or twill floats on a plain,ribbed, twill, or satin background. Brocade fabrics differ from damasks in thatthe floats in the design are more intricate and varied and are usually ofseveral colors. Brocade fabrics have a surface that is slightly raised incertain areas, giving depth and texture to the fabric. In contrast, damask is flatand smooth with a design that is usually reversible. Brocades are typicallydressy, formal fabrics

Tapestries

Tapestries are produced by a more complicated weave thandamask or brocade and consists of two or more sets of warp and filling. Thedesigns are formed by the filling threads, which are worked back and forth overthe warp threads only where the needed instead of completely across the fabric.Filling threads of contrasting colors are dovetailed with adjoining fillingthreads in many of the primitive tapestries. This is usually referred to asdovetailed tapestry while many Oriental tapestries are composed of interlockingfilling threads of contrasting colors called interlocking tapestry. Mosttapestries woven in Europe are of the slit tapestry variety. A slit or openingis left in the weave when the filling threads of one color meet those of thecontrasting color.

Tapestries are typically more ornate, colorful and more expensive. Tapestries range from heavy, durable floor-coverings to delicate Chinese silk. Very few of these early tapestries survive being ravaged by time, light, mold, rats, moths, wear and tear. High quality tapestries, which often included gold and silver thread, were frequently burned in later periods in order to extract their precious metal.

In the 1880s William Morris attempted to revive tapestry weaving using designs by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Morris sought to return to the simplicity of gothic designs. During the 30's and 40's Jean Lurcat, who rejected pictorial weavings in favor of abstract designs, started a second tapestry revival. Lurcat's work inspired a generation of weavers, and in the last thirty years respect has grown for independent weavers producing one of a kind tapestries.

Today's tapestries are mass-produced by machines for apparel, upholstery, draperies, handbags, floor coverings and wall hangings. Although machine made tapestries are typically not reversible, they fill the need for an inexpensive, hand-woven look-alike.

References

Harris, Jennifer. "Textiles, 5000 Years," Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York, NY, 1993, pp. 24 - 27, 188-199.
Collier, Billie and Tortora, Phyllis. "Understanding Textiles", 6th Edition, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998, pp. 310-311.
Humphries, Mary. "Fabric Handbook Reference", 2nd Edition, Don Mills, Ontario Canada, 1992, 43.
Belck, Nancy and Butler, Sara and Wamhoff, Marlene. "Textiles for the Consumer," Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI, 1990.
Kadolph, Sara and Langford, Anna. "Textiles", 8th Edition, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, Upper Saddle

About the Author:

The author is the President of Textile Fabric Consultants, Inc