Road to Damaskus
Homes & Antiques|January 2023
This cleverly woven one-colour fabric was a sign of great wealth and status throughout the centuries and across continents, and still has a distinctive feel of luxury about it today, says Celia Rufey
Celia Rufey
Road to Damaskus

Damask trickled into Europe from China and the Byzantine and Islamic empires in the early Middle Ages. It was in silk; a cloth no one in Europe had seen before and a weave no one knew how to replicate. This intriguing interplay of warp and weft was developed in China, certainly by the 7th century. Using just one yarn colour, it created pattern by combining two different weave techniques that set areas of plain matt weave against areas woven in glossy sateen. Single-colour damask was, and still is, reversible; the pattern can be seen with matt motifs framed by sateen, or the other way round.

Damask takes it name from the Syrian capital, Damascus, a weaving and trading city, and a convergent point on the Silk Road. These various routes first brought cloth and much else to the Mediterranean from China and countries in between, including ones we know as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. By the 9th century, damask weaving had arrived in Sicily and Spain following Islamic victories there, and it was taken to Italy when weavers from Sicily were brought to the city of Lucca in the 12th century, bringing their knowledge of damask weaving and designs.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2023 de Homes & Antiques.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2023 de Homes & Antiques.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE HOMES & ANTIQUESVer todo
Lisa Coppin
Homes & Antiques

Lisa Coppin

The Cotswold Company’s chief creative officer shares the pieces that mean so much to her

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
TRAVEL
Homes & Antiques

TRAVEL

Six of the best pineta, plus a festive trip to Covent Garden. Review of The Orange, Belgravia by Katie Pike, travel stories

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE
Homes & Antiques

OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

Stumbled upon by chance, this ingenious material was a more affordable option than solid silver, and well-preserved examples are particularly desirable today

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 2024
Merrily on high
Homes & Antiques

Merrily on high

Summoning servants since the 1700s, bell boards create instant English country-house style (even if you don't have any servants). Emma Longstaff dons her pinny

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 2024
Let it snow
Homes & Antiques

Let it snow

Nostalgic, magical and highly collectable, snow globes are curious objects of wonder that never fail to instil joy

time-read
7 minutos  |
December 2024
Velvet Crush
Homes & Antiques

Velvet Crush

Once the preserve of the wealthy, velvet finally touched all levels of society, thanks to advances in its production process

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 2024
Celebrating in the Stable
Homes & Antiques

Celebrating in the Stable

Antiques dealer Julia von Hülsen specialises in Gustavian pieces - all of which look perfectly placed in her German home

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Homes & Antiques

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Victorian toy theatres charming and exquisitely designed miniature worlds have inspired theatre royalty for decades. Today, the tradition is being kept alive by a small but talented network of makers

time-read
6 minutos  |
December 2024
NICHOLAS LEES
Homes & Antiques

NICHOLAS LEES

The ceramic artist talks to Dominique Corlett about new ways of working with clay and blurring the edges of solid objects

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 2024
Candy CHRISTMAS
Homes & Antiques

Candy CHRISTMAS

Pastel hues, vintage decorations and bowls of sweet treats: the festive run-up is gloriously joyful at Bettina Færgeman's historic Copenhagen apartment, where there's an emphasis on entertaining...

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024