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brocade

 
Dictionary: bro·cade   (brō-kād') pronunciation
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brocade
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brocade
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n.
A heavy fabric interwoven with a rich, raised design.

[Spanish or Portuguese brocado, from Italian brocato, from brocco, twisted thread, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, spike, from Latin brocchus, projecting, of Celtic origin.]

brocade bro·cade' v.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: brocade
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Detail of handwoven Italian silk brocaded on silk with floral motif, c. 1730 – 50.
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Detail of handwoven Italian silk brocaded on silk with floral motif, c. 1730 – 50. (credit: Courtesy of Scalamandre, New York City)
Woven fabric having a raised floral or figured design that is introduced during the weaving process. The design, appearing only on the fabric face, is usually made in a satin or twill weave (see weaving). The background may be twill, satin, or plain weave. The rich, fairly heavy fabric is frequently used for evening dresses, draperies, and upholstery.

For more information on brocade, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: brocade
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brocade (brōkād'), fabric, originally silk, generally reputed to have been developed to a high state of perfection in the 16th and 17th cent. in France, Italy, and Spain. In China the weaving of silk, which dates from the Shang dynasty, developed into complex patterns including moiré, damask, and brocade. Brocade is characterized by a compact warp-effect background with one or more fillings used in the construction to make the motif or figure. The filling threads, often of gold or silver in the original fabrics of this name, float in embossed or embroidered effects in the figures. Motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other design. Its uses include curtaining, hangings, pillows, portieres, evening wraps, and church vestments. Similar techniques are used in the manufacture of brocades made of cotton and synthetic fibers.

Wikipedia: Brocade
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For other uses, see Brocade (disambiguation).
Silk brocade fabric, Lyon, France, 1760-1770.
Lace-Patterned silk brocade, Russia, early 18th century

Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian broccato meaning "embossed cloth," originally past participle of the verb broccare "to stud, set with nails," from brocco, "small nail," from Latin broccus, "projecting, pointed."[1]

Brocade is typically woven on a draw loom. It is a supplementary weft technique, that is, the ornamental brocading is produced by a supplementary, non-structural, weft in addition to the standard weft that holds the warp threads together. The purpose of this is to give the appearance that the weave actually was embroidered on.

Ornamental features in brocade are emphasized and wrought as additions to the main fabric, sometimes stiffening it, though more frequently producing on its face the effect of low relief. In some, but not all, brocades, these additions present a distinctive appearance on the back of the material where the supplementary weft or floating threads of the brocaded or broached parts hang in loose groups or are clipped away. When the weft is floating on the back, this is known as a continuous brocade; the supplementary weft runs from selvage to selvage. The yams are cut away in cutwork and broché. Also, a discontinuous brocade is where the supplementary yam is only woven in the patterned areas.

See also

References

  1. ^ brocade: EtymologyOnline

Further reading

  • Brocade paper (fragment), originally belonging to a sample book of J.M. Munck, Augsburg 1751 treasure 5 National Library of The Netherlands
  • Marypaul Yates. Fabrics A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects. W. W. Norton & Co.
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Translations: Brocade
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - brokade
v. tr. - væve brokade

Nederlands (Dutch)
brokaat, goudlaken, brocheren

Français (French)
n. - brocard
v. tr. - brocher

Deutsch (German)
n. - Brokat
v. - Brokatmuster weben

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ύφασμα) μπροκάρ
v. - (χρυσο)κεντώ, γαρνίρω (ύφασμα)

Italiano (Italian)
broccato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - brocado (m)
v. - decorar com brocado

Русский (Russian)
парча

Español (Spanish)
n. - brocado
v. tr. - decorar,ornamentar con brocado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - brokad
v. - brocad-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
锦缎, 织锦, 织成浮花织锦

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 錦緞, 織錦
v. tr. - 織成浮花織錦

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 아름다운 무늬를 넣어 짠 비단
v. tr. - ~을 무늬를 두드러지게 짜다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 錦
v. - 錦織りにする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) قماش ثقيل مطرز (فعل) تطريز قماش‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ריקמה (בחוטי זהב)‬
v. tr. - ‮רקם (בחוטי זהב)‬

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Eliza J. Green Cowl Neck Brocade Dress
 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Brocade".  Read more
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