Velvet
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.
Velvet is difficult to clean, but in modern times,
dry cleaning is used.
Panne is a type of finish for velvet which gives it a special shiny look.
Velvet is made from
Cotton. Sometimes
Polyester or a mixture of Polyester and Cotton is used.
A small percentage of Lycra is used frequently to give stretchability.
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.
A brief history of black velvet paintings is presented by Pamela Liflander in
Black Velvet Artist, a booklet published by Running Press, Philadelphia, 2003, and included in an identically-titled art kit. She notes that "The birthplace of black velvet paintings can be traced to ancient
Kashmir, which is considered to be the fabric's original homeland. These paintings were religious in nature, portraying the iconic artwork of the
Caucasus region by
Russian Orthodox priests." She further wrote that
Marco Polo and others introduced the West to this art form, and that some of these early works still hang in the
Vatican. Liflander also details the life of
Edgar Leeteg (1904-1953), "the father of American black velvet
kitsch," whose "raucous and bawdy" life was previously captured by
James Michener in
Rascals in Paradise (
1957).
Some images of items made of, or covered with, velvet:
* a
jacket,
* a
collar
