history of weaving
TRANSCRIPT
Sinew-a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone
Flax-5000 BC,
Cotton-3000 BC, Worn by egyptian arlier than 2500 BC.
Wool-3000 BC, Used by people of the Late Stone Age
Silk-2600 BC, Began about 1725 BC
one of the oldest arts & crafts
early civilization needs for clothing & shelter
Learn twisting from grasses and plant stalks
Earliest surviving evidence of fiber crafts from late upper paleolithic period.
1950- france- a clay carbonaceous imprint discovered – clearly distinguish the puffiness of the twist
The oldest example of textiles yet identified by archaeologists is at the Dzudzuana Cave in the former Soviet state of Georgia. There, a handful of flax fibers was discovered that had been twisted, cut and even dyed a range of colors. The fibers were radiocarbon-dated to between 30,000-36,000 years ago.
Both sides of a fragment of a woven mat or basket container from Guitarrero
essential for shelter
temporary
assembled quickly & securely
plaiting, twining, knotting, weaving
walls, doors, rugs, hammocks
Structural concept of loom evolved from the ancient methods of arranging yarn or plant material for finger weaving some form of basketry and netting.
The most common was plain weave.
Later they became inventive to find long float twill, basket weave twill etc
plain woven fabrics dated as early as 5000BC
fabrics and garments indicated status and caste
The earliest example we could find was these knitted socks, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, circa 300-499, excavated from Egypt at the end of the 19th century.
mummy cloths
system of tablet/card weaving: warp-weighted
Skilled dyers & embroiderers
Evidence of the earliest knitting, using two needles, is believed to come from Egypt in the eleventh century, where more knitted socks were found.
But from there we jump to thirteenth and fourteenth century Europe, particularly France, Germany and Britain.
Fashionable knits were known in France as early as the 1420s
high level of expertise until decline of Egypt second mil.BC
located between Tigris & Euphrates
Sumerians & Babylonians
weaving industry developed by the third millenium
robes of Sumerian kings and priests
Mesopotamian textile , Hermitage Museum
Bhaktiyari motifs
Babylonians replaced Sumerians about 1800 BC
great emphasis on weaving & embroidery
Babylonians embraced wovens with variety of material and yarns.
Textiles were one of the most important trade goods in Mesopotamia. Babylonian textiles were thought to be the best. Bundles were tied to donkeys.
ancient fragments of wool and linen from 3000BC in Palestine
wool was the most common fiber
white wool & course wools or wool with mixtures of colors
pure linen reserved for high priest only
plain weaves, multicolor materials, & art-weavers
capable of producing very complex yarns
metallic yarns and dyeing techniques
textile arts valued highly
tapestry weaving particularly important
exquisite silk tapestries
rich color and pattern
border fragment, Period: 224 to 651 A.D. Warp: Material: linen, tan, Weft: Material: wool, dyed
very accomplished weavers
warp-weighted loom
wool & linen most popular
later wool primarily for men & byssus for women
equally skilled in fabric as mastery in other fields
Women made blanket, table linen, Pazyryk carpet,and many other textile
Romans considered weaving to be beneath them
imported fabrics from Greece
imported slaves for purpose of spinning, weaving, making garments for their households
various weaving centers with variety in types of fabrics
silk deemed as most precious
emperess Hsi Ling shi & discovery of silk-while shipping tea under mulberry tree
no need for spinning
Sogdian silk 8th century
peasant class of the Copts adopted Christianity
Coptic art distinguished for its splendid textiles
abstract, highly stylized forms
later Christian elements and “story” content emerges
especially skilled at tapestry, mosaic style
best known is woven medallion motif
Coptic weavers pressed into service of Arabs
Roman capital moved to Byzantium, renamed Constantinople
major center for silk textile manufacturing
monks concealed silkworm eggs from China to Constantinople
lavish figure weaves
began entirely by hand
first improvement method of holding warp yarns taut
most basic form provides framework to hold warp rigid while weft is interlaced
warp weighted loom with horizontal beam
Greeks, Romans, Scandinavians, Indians of North & South America
the backstrap loom
tension could be controlled by shift of weight
mostly wove with fingers
more advanced use heddles and seperators to create sheds
Indians of Peru during pre-Inca periods
still used by native peoples of Southeast Asia and the Americas
horizontal ground looms
provides a fixed support at both ends of the warp
frees weaver physically from the loom
pit loom in India
tripod loom in Africa
horizontal frame loom known in ancient Egypt & China in principle it is identical to the common floor loom used
today used in Europe, by 13th century & Renaissance weavers
the draw loom invented in China master weaver & assistant intricacy of pattern
the jacquard loom first pattern loom on a mechanized system Joseph Marie Jacquard for French government in 1804 same principle as a piano or modern computer astonishingly fast and completely automatic
modern hand looms counterbalance loom
harnesses operate in tandem: one harness is lowered and connecting is raised
all warp yarns depart from horizontal jack loom
each harness works independently 4 harnesses or more
countermarch loom rising-shed loom as counterbalance harnesses work independently as jack however makes much larger shed
upright loom different variations of structure excellent for tapestry popular in Navajo weavings
table loom all weaving operations performed with the hands
by the end of 19th interest in handcrafts vanished
revival in 20th century and also currently
began with William Morris, the Bauhaus, Anni Albers, Art Deco
craftsman style flourished around the turn of 20th century in England and also America
American interest in hand weaving began in later part of 1920’s
weaving pioneers: Mary Atwater, Anni Albers move to US, LiliBlumenau, Dorothy Liebes
growth of craft organizations throughout the US
Industrial Revolution and Craft Revival in the South
learned to be almost entirely self-sufficient
folk handcrafts passes from generation to generation
ranges from completely hand woven without assistance of tools to almost entirely digitally woven
greater availability and variety of materials due to technological advances
http://textilelearner.blogspot.in/2012/06/history-of-weaving-in-according-with.html
http://www.fofweb.com/History/HistRefMain.asp
http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/roman_clothing.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptclothing.html
http://www.olgadeamaral.com
http://www.angharadmclaren.co.uk/
http://suzannetick.com/