Article
Persian Velvets of the 17th Century: Symmetry, Craft, and Technology
Symmetry: Art and Science
(2022)
Abstract
Symmetry is the organizing principle that underlies patternmaking in compound woven
textiles of 17th century Iran. Persian velvets are particularly noteworthy for their complicated weave
structure. What defines compound weaves is the interlacing of more than one set of warps (longitudinal
elements held under tension at the loom) with wefts (transverse elements). Velvets introduce
an additional set of supplementary warps held under differential tension. The weaving of a compound
textile requires both a pattern harness and a structure harness for the interaction of warps
and wefts. A weaver on the bench manipulates the structure harness for each passage of the weft
introduced while weaving; a drawboy, positioned above the loom, manipulates the warps that are
dressed upon the loom prior to weaving. The drawboy’s actions are guided by a naqsh, or maquette,
affixed to the loom, which serves as the pattern harness. The role of the naqshbandi (literally,
the one who ties the naqsh) cannot be underestimated in preparing the naqsh for Persian velvets
and other compound weaves. The naqsh effectively programs the sequence of raising warps to create
the shed for any given passage of the weft. The pattern repeat, established in the naqsh, is a
technical unit that is technologically determined by the protocols of drawloom-weaving. Persian
velvets of the 17th century typically represent three symmetry groups, reflecting the parameters of
drawloom technology - periodicity (translation) of technical repeat units exhibit parallel glide reflections
(pg) or reflections and parallel glide reflections across the warp axis (cm), or perpendicular
reflections and glide reflections across both warp and weft axes (cmm).
Keywords
- Symmetry; Weaving; Velvet-Weaving; Drawloom; Naqshband,
- symmetry,
- weaving,
- velvet-weaving,
- drawloom,
- naqshband,
- craft,
- technology,
- Iran
Disciplines
Publication Date
2022
DOI
https://doi.org/10.24840/1447-607X/2022/12-21-168
Citation Information
Bier, Carol (2022) "Persian Velvets of the 17th Century: Symmetry, Craft, and Technology," Symmetry: Art and Science 1-4, pp. 168-75.