Silk damask

“ A plain or a figured (damask) silk can be employed as a ground for needlework, the broken surface of a good damask sometimes enriching and helping out the design. If work is to be laid directly on silk ground, it should be rather open and light in character; if closer stitches are wanted, the principal forms are usually done on a canvas or linen backing, which is then cut out and "applied" to the final silk ground, the design being carried on and completed by lighter work of lines and curves, and by the enrichment{367} of gold thread, and sometimes even precious stones. ”

“ Silk damask (Sicilian) with imitated Arabic letters.
47 The weaving of letters in textiles is neither a Moorish nor Saracenic invention; ages before, the ancient Parthians used to do so, as we learn from Pliny: “Parthi literas vestibus intexunt.” A curious illustration of the frequent use of silken stuffs bearing letters, borrowed from some real or supposed oriental alphabet, is the custom which many of the illuminators had of figuring on frontals and altar canopies, evidently intended to represent silk, meaningless words ”

“ The said ship takes, on its return to Yndia, the aforesaid merchandise of loose white silk—one thousand picos at the abovesaid prices. They are sold in Yndia at about two hundred cruzados7 per pico.
It will carry about ten or twelve thousand pieces of silk damasks and taffetas of all shades, bought at different prices. The common price of the fine pieces of damask is five taes, and the very fine, six and seven; and the pieces are four varas long. There are also some at four taes. These damasks are also sold at various prices. The greater part of them are sold among the natives. ”

“ Cotton damasks, which are made in Paisley, Glasgow, and several places in Lancashire, are used for toilet covers, table-cloths, and similar purposes. They are often ornamented with colours and sent to the Indian and West Indian markets. Silk damasks for curtains and upholstery decoration are made in the silk-weaving centres.
DAMASK STEEL, or Damascus Steel, a steel with a peculiar watered or streaked appearance, as seen in the blades of fine swords and other weapons of Oriental manufacture. ”

“ In her webs, expressly woven for church-use, is it that she displays her great taste in design, and wonderful power—at least for that time, the fourteenth century—in gearing the loom: the violet silk damask, No. 1265, p. 36, and another like piece, No. 7072, p. 133, figured with angels swinging thuribles, or bearing crowns of thorns in the hands, or holding a cross, will warrant our remarks. The style of doing the face and hands in white of those otherwise yellow angels, is a peculiarity of the Tuscan loom. ”

“ A rich stuff, whether colour or material be considered; and quite agreeing with other specimens in the love of the southern Spanish loom for the pomegranate, the emblem of Granada, where probably it was wrought.
1361.
Silk Damask; ground, dull violet; design, within reticulated squares, a conventional bunch of flowers much in the honeysuckle shape, in white and yellow. Italian, 16th century. 6 inches by 71⁄2 inches.
Though the silk is good, the weaving is rather coarse and rough. ”

“ The consequence is, that, as you see, new bazars are building in various places. Soon they will be occupied by gay, oriental wares, and things will go on quite the same as before. Only there will be more light and fresher air.”
Among the specialties sold in the Damascene bazars we may mention silk goods, first of all. They are combined with cotton, and woven into various patterns for dress and furniture. They defy all competition the world over. The patterns are exquisite. No wonder this artistic weaving has given the city’s name, or damask, to such fabrics for all time. ”

“ Silk is derived from the Latin sericus, soft; and Satin from the Italian seta, a species of silk distinguished for its gloss and close [177] texture. Variegated silk or other stuff bears the name of Brocade in accordance with the Italian verb broccare, to prick, to stitch, to figure; Damassin is a damask cloth interwoven with flowers, or silver, or gold; Sarsanet is a fine silk, originally made by the Saracens; Mohair is properly Moorhair, or the hair of the Angola goat introduced into Spain by the Moors ”

“ Damask, dam′ask, n. figured stuff, originally of silk, now of linen, cotton, or wool, the figure being woven, not printed.—v.t. to flower or variegate, as cloth.—adj. of a red colour, like that of a damask rose.—v.t. Damaskeen′, to decorate metal (esp. steel) by inlaying or encrusting on it patterns like damask in other metals: to ornament with flowery patterns, to damask.—ns. Damaskeen′ing, Damasceen′ing, the watered or striated structure seen in certain sword-blades and other weapons: the ornamental incrustation with gold and silver of steel and iron surfaces ”

“ Out of the several specimens here from Tartary and India, during our mediæval period, we pick one or two which show well the meaning of those words uttered by that great Venetian traveller, while speaking about the textiles he saw in those countries. The dark purple piece of silk, figured in gold with birds and beasts, of the thirteenth century, No. 7086, p. 137, is good; but better still for our purpose is the shred, No. 7087, p. 138, of blue damask, with its birds, its animals, and flowers wrought in gold, and different coloured silks. ”

“ At present, the silk manufactories of Valencia do not employ one twentieth part of the hands that were needed, previous to the loss of the colonies; for these silks cannot compete in the foreign markets with the manufacture of France or England. The only manufactured silk that continues to bear a remunerating price, is the damask, and rich silks used in religious ceremonies. The produce of silk from the plain of Valencia, is computed to be about one million of pounds ”

“ This piece of damask combined with brocade weaving is of late 15th centui-y manufacture: and after the opening of the next century the freedom .towards realistic treatment, which we find here, enters into many of the Italian patterns. In some of them, however, an Ottoman or Anatolian feeling is apparent, as in fig. 43 from a figured silk which is considered to have been made in Venice. The chained dogs and birds in this design recall the rather more formal ones in Lucchese patterns of a hundred and fifty year? ”

“ Gold or silver metal threads are sometimes introduced in the figures.
Brocateles were originally somewhat coarse fabrics of silk and wool or silk and cotton with designs produced by the brocade weave. The term is now also applied to a type of heavy satin damask in which the satin figure is on a lustrous ground of the same or contrasting color.
Printed fabrics.—Both hand-and machine-made printed fabrics are produced in an enormous variety; on linen, cotton, silk, rayon, mohair, wool, and jute grounds; and on plain twill, rep, damask, velvet, and other grounds. ”

“ Piece of Silk and Linen Damask; pattern, rich, broad and flowing, in crimson, on a gold ground. Genoese, late 16th century. 2 feet 4 inches by 1 foot 111⁄2 inches.
This gives us a fine specimen of Italian weaving in the middle or latter portion of the 16th century. So rich, and so solid in materials, it is as bold as it is, at first sight, attractive in its design, and shows indications of that strap-shaped ornamentation which soon afterwards became so conspicuous in all cut-work, especially so in bookbindings, all over Western Europe. ”

“ Sewing silk is made by winding and doubling the raw product, then twisting into tram, giving it a slack twist, doubling and twisting in the reverse direction under tension. Machine twist is similar, but three ply.
The principal fabrics made of silk are: silk, satin, plush, chenille, crêpe, crepon, gauze, damask, brocade, pongee, and ribbons. Silk thread and cord are also extensively used. The United States is among the leaders in the manufacture of silk fabrics. ”

“ I will merely observe that all silk is dyed in skeins, just before it enters the loom. If it be required occasionally to dye it after it is woven, this is [93] only when the silk is spotted, or when the dyeing of the skeins has proved a failure. At the time of my visit to Valencia, there were a hundred and seventeen master-dyers in that city, but not all of them were working.
“The stuffs in which the factories of Valencia are most successful are principally of the smooth sort; they also make there handsome damask brochés with large flowers for wall-hangings ”

“ The hood and morse are of the same stuff, which was evidently meant to be for secular, not liturgical, use.
731.
Door-curtain of crimson damask silk; pattern, a large broad conventional floriation. Italian, 17th century. 10 feet by 8 feet 10 inches.
732.
Curtain of pale sea-green damask; pattern, large leaves and flowers. Italian. 17 feet 8 inches by 13 feet 7 inches.
The satiny ground throws up the design in its dull tone extremely well; and the whole is edged with a border of narrow pale yellow lace, figured with small green sprigs. ”

“ Putting these two pieces together we make out this beautiful, elaborate, though small pattern. What the birds may be is hard to guess, but the beasts seem lionesses, with bushy tails, and bold spirited griffins. Dr. Bock has figured this stuff in the before-mentioned large work.
1299.
Damask, gold, silk, and thread; ground, dull purple; design, two broad horizontal bands, the first charged with a hound, green, collared, armed, and langued white, lying down with head upturned to a large swan in gold, [Pg 50] with foliage all about them ”

“ Damasks of all colours, 12 yards the piece, at 6 dollars; white sattins, in pieces of 12 yards, 8 dollars each; Burgones, of 10 yards long the piece, 45 dollars the corge; sleeve silk, the best made colours, 3 dollars the cattee; the best musk, 22 dollars the cattee; the best sewing gold thread, 15 knots, and every knot 30 threads, one dollar; velvet hangings with gold embroidery, 18 dollars; upon sattins, 14 dollars; white curtain stuffs, 9 yards the piece, 50 dollars the corge; flat white damask, 9 yards the piece, 4 dollars each; white sugar, very dry, 3-1/2 dollars the pekul ”