All Products forIkat Damask-Viridian & Taupe-L

Damask originated in China around 300 B.C., but developed into a major weaving technique during the early Middle Ages. The production of damask in the Middle Ages centered around Byzantine and the Middle East. The fabric takes its name from the city of Damascus, which was an active trading port on the silk road. Early medieval damasks were usually hand-woven in silk. Damask came to Europe for the first time in the fourteenth century, with the first records of the use of the word are in the mid-fourteenth century in French. Early European damasks were woven on Italian draw looms, which are looms with two harnesses that allow for the creation of patterns a standard loom cannot accommodate. Modern damasks are made using Jacquard looms, which are computerized power looms. A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent "blurriness" to the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty the weaver has lining up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colours and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore often more expensive. However, the blurriness that is so characteristic of ikat is often prized by textile collectors.