What is damask fabric and how was it originally made?
Damask is a reversible figured woven fabric that appeared on both sides of the material. True damask was initially made entirely of silk during its earliest days in 14th century Italy.
Questions about Damask
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where did the name damask come from and when did it appear in Europe?
The name derived directly from the Syrian city of Damascus where trade routes converged along the ancient Silk Road. Mid-14th century French records contain the first appearance of the word damask in a Western European language after Crusaders introduced the fabric to Europe during their traversal of the continent in the 11th century.
How do single damask and compound damask differ in color usage?
Single damask utilized only one set of warps and wefts limiting it to two colors at most. Compound damask introduced multiple sets of warps and wefts allowing for more than two colors in a single piece.
When were Chinese manufacturers producing complicated damask patterns with draw looms?
Evidence suggests they created these textiles as early as the Tang dynasty between 618 and 907 AD. Trade logs from The British East India Company document ongoing exchanges of Chinese silks especially damask which became known as the heaviest form of Chinese silk available for export.
What technological invention revolutionized damask manufacturing speed in the 19th century?
The invention of the Jacquard loom revolutionized manufacturing speed during the 19th century using punched cards to control individual threads on the machine. Modern versions operate using computerized Jacquard looms instead of manual punch cards.