Brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative
Brocade is typically woven on a draw
In
Ornamental features in brocade are emphasised and wrought as additions to the main fabric, sometimes stiffening it, though more frequently producing on its face the effect of low relief. In some, but not all, brocades, these additions present a distinctive appearance on the back of the material where the supplementary weft or floating threads of the brocaded or broached parts hang in loose groups or are clipped away.[1] When the weft is floating on the back, this is known as a continuous brocade; the supplementary weft runs from selvage to selvage. The yarns are cut away in cutwork and broché. Also, a discontinuous brocade is where the supplementary yarn is only woven in the patterned areas. Artisans worked extremely hard to produce these spectacular works of art. It often took years to make them.
History
China
The manufacture of brocade began during the Warring States period of China.[3] Many products of brocade have been found in tombs of the era.[3][4] Several distinct styles of brocade have been developed in China, the most famous being Yunjin (Cloud brocade) of Nanjing, Song brocade of Suzhou, and Shu brocade of Chengdu.
Southeast Asia
Songket is a type of brocade in the Malay world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei etc.)
Byzantium
Dating back to the
During the
The Late Middle Ages
Wealthy noblemen and noblewomen dressed in silk brocades from Italy, and velvets trimmed with fur from Germany. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Court of Burgundy was made known for their continuous fashionable tastes and luxurious dress.[6]
Renaissance Italy
Brocades were also an important fabric during the Renaissance, and especially the Italian Renaissance. As wool and silk were the primary fabrics used by Europeans during the Renaissance, and despite the lack of documentary evidence, it is said that due to the increase in complexity of decoration of Italian silk fabrics of the 15th century, there must have been improvements in silk-weaving looms around this time. The complexity and high quality of luxurious silk fabrics caused Italy to become the most important and superior manufacturer of the finest silk fabrics for all of Europe. The almost sculptural lines of the fashions during the Renaissance were paired perfectly with the exquisite beauty and elegance of brocade, damask, and other superior silk textiles.[7]
Modern uses
Brocade fabrics are mostly for
Gallery
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Silk brocade (detail), Boys riding goats. Ming dynasty, 15th/16th century.
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Persian Silk Brocade. Brocade weaver: Seyyed Hossein Mozhgani, 1974, Ministry of Culture and Art, Iran.
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Traditional Hajong brocade.
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Isabelle De Strange, Brocade Costume, c. 1938, NGA 13643
See also
References
- ^ a b public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Brocade". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 620–622. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ brocade: EtymologyOnline
- ^ ISBN 978-962-937-140-1.
- ISBN 0-520-21876-0.
- ^ a b Tortora, Phyllis G. (2009). Survey of Historic Costume. New York: Fairchild Books. p. 110.
- ^ Tortora, Phyllis G. (2009). Survey of Historic Dress. New York: Fairchild Books. pp. 147–148.
- ^ Tortora, Phyllis G. (2009). Survey of Historic Dress. New York: Fairchild Books. pp. 183–184.
- ^ Collier, Billie J. (2009). Understanding Textiles. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 303.
Further reading
- Brocade paper (fragment), originally belonging to a sample book of J. M. Munck, Augsburg, 1751, treasure 5, National Library of The Netherlands
- Marypaul Yates. Fabrics: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects. W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 978-0393730623.
- Ventura, Carol. Maya Hair Sashes Backstrap Woven in Jacaltenango, Guatemala; Cintas Mayas tejidas con el telar de cintura en Jacaltenango, Guatemala (in English and Spanish), 2003. ISBN 0-9721253-1-0.