Velvet
Categories: 1911 Britannica | Textiles
- This article is about velvet, the fabric. For other uses of the word, see velvet (disambiguation).
Velvet is a type of tufted fabric in which the cut threads are very evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it its distinct feel. Velvet can be made from any fiber. It is woven on a special loom that weaves two pieces of velvet at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart and the two lengths of fabric are wound on separate take-up rolls.
Velvet's knitted counterpart is velour. Velvet was very expensive and was considered to be among the luxury goods together with silk. Corduroy and velveteen were considered the "poor man's velvet" when they were first produced.
History
In all probability the art of velvet-weaving originated in the Far East. Earliest references occur about the beginning of the 14th Century.
The peculiar properties of velvet, the splendid yet softened depth of dye colour it exhibited, made it obviously fit for official robes and sumptuous hangings. The most magnificent textiles of medieval times were Italian velvets. These were ornamentated by such techniques as varying the color of the pile, by producing pile of different lengths (pile upon pile, or double pile), and by brocading with plain silk, with uncut pile or with a ground of gold tissue, etc.
The earliest sources of European artistic velvets were Lucca, Genoa, Florence and Venice, and Genoa continues to send out rich velvet textures. Somewhat later the art was taken up by Flemish weavers, and in the 16th century Bruges attained a reputation for velvets not inferior to that of the great Italian cities.
This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.
External links
Some images of items made of, or covered with, velvet:
