Weave Sample: Weft-Faced Compound Twill

Usually referred to as samite (or sometimes samitum).

In this sample I tested several styles of samite. From the bottom up, we have:

• Plain (unfigured) samite
• Duochrome figured samite (1-2-2-1 weft order)
• Duochrome figured samite (1-2-1-2 weft order)
• Monochrome figured samite (1-2-2-1 weft order)
• Monochrome figured samite (1-2-1-2 weft order)

Weft-Faced Compound Twill

When and where can this textile be found?

• Roman-Era Egypt (1st century to mid-3rd century) in wool [1].
• 9th – early 10th century Pomerania in silk [3].
• Late 9th – 10th century England in silk [2].

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[1] Taqueté and Damask from Mons Claudianus: A Discussion of Roman Looms for Patterned Textiles by Martin Ciszuk (in Purpureae Vestes)
[2] Late Saxon Textiles from the City of London by Frances Pritchard
[3] Fabrics in Medieval Dress in Pomerania by Ann Rybarczyk

 

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Understanding Samite in Detail

As I’ve written before, samite is weft-faced compound twill weave. A compound weave is any type of woven structure which involves more than two sets of elements – such as one (or more) warp sets, plus two (or more) weft sets that interact to form a pattern. Samite uses two warps acting seperately (a main warp and a binding warp), and a weft composed of two or more series of threads. These weft threads work in combination to produce one weft pick on the face of the cloth (called a passée).

To better understand, let’s look at the two warps separately. We’ll use a simple design as our pattern. Each square represents one main warp end (or more if the main warp is doubled/tripled), and two passées (or more if the main warp is doubled/tripled). When patterning we ignore the binding warp.

Pattern graph

First, there is the main warp. This is the warp responsible for the patterning of the fabric. The dominant weft (the one we want to see) runs over top of the main warp, while the others are kept to the reverse. Colour changes are achieved by bringing a new weft thread to the face, while simultaneously dropping the other weft to the back. Only one weft at a time will be dominant, all others will be held to the reverse. The main warp will be completely covered on both sides of the cloth, and will never be seen.

Main warp in red, wefts in blue and white

Secondly, there is the binding warp. This warp works independently of the main warp, binding the cloth in a 1/2 twill. Unlike the main warp, this warp treats the full passée of warp threads as one unit.

Binding warp in black, wefts in blue and white

The two warps together produce samite.

Main warp in red, binding warp in black, wefts in blue and white

And the finished fabric will look like this. Note the main warp is completely invisible.

Binding warp in black, wefts in blue and white

 

* Drawings done in the style of Riboud’s Samit & Lampas, and Becker’s Pattern and Loom.

Sampler Planning: Compound Harness Weaves

For the compound harness samples I’ll be doing things a bit differently.  Rather than keep the same sett the same for each weave, I will be using the sett that works best for the textile in question (or should I say, my best guess).  The fabrics just won’t look right if I use the same sett I used before.  And I’d really like the fabrics to look right, so people can get a better idea of what they are supposed to look like.  To start I will still be using the same 8/2 unmercerized cotton. It’s readily available and inexpensive enough I won’t feel terrible if it all goes haywire.

I’ll be using these samples as a way to learn how to use my drawloom, so I expect there will be a fair amount of trial and error.

First off, I need to pick a relatively simple pattern that I can re-use to show the differences in weave.  As there are multiple wefts, the concept of dividing the sample into halves using different weft colours doesn’t work.  My plan is to divide the sample into thirds, instead.  The first third will be two colours plainweave (to show the ground fabrics without figuring, the second will be figured but monochrome to shoe the contrast of the figuring, and the third will be figured and ducochrome showing the full effect.

I’ll use the same pattern for the first batch of samples, and the same thread, and that should hopefully better show the difference in the weave.

I’ve decided to use an all-over design from Il Burato (Paganino, c. 1527), which is probably for lace but it will work.  Looking at it, it appears that this repeat of the pattern is 17 high and 10 wide, which seems a good small repeat for a learning exercise.

Planned design, from Il Burato (Paganino, c. 1527)

Samite Research

What is Samite?

Silk; Samit weave. Iran or Central Asia, Sogdiana, 8th century.
© 2014 The Cleveland Museum of Art. All rights reserved. (http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.2.1)

Samite (samit, samitum) belongs to a category of fabrics called compound weaves.  Any type of woven structure which involves more than two elements is a compound weave (two or more warps and/or wefts).

More specifically, samite is weft-faced compound twill weave.  The textile uses a main warp, binding warp, and a weft composed of two or more series of threads.  These weft threads work in combination to produce one weft pick on the face of the cloth. The other or others are kept to the reverse. The ends of the binding warp bind the weft in passes, and the ground and the pattern are formed simultaneously. The entire surface is covered by weft floats, which hide the main warp ends.  From the front, samite looks like a weft-dominant twill weave.

Samite: showing face and side-view of the weave.

Where/When was Samite Produced?

Use of this weave was very common for a long part of the medieval period, and from early on was the primary weave for polychrome silk textiles.  It is believed this weave originated in Sassanian  Persia no later that the beginning of the 7th century C.E.  It is commonly associated with Byzantine silks, as the greater part of these were woven in samite until the 11th century.  This is true for almost all of the Mediterranean areas.  Burials at Birka and Oseberg contain thin strips of samite silk, which is not surprising given Norse contact with Byzantium.  Samite remained popular in North-Western Europe throughout the 13th century.