Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

damask

 
Dictionary: dam·ask   (dăm'əsk) pronunciation
n.
  1. A rich patterned fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool.
  2. A fine, twilled table linen.
  3. Damascus steel.
  4. The wavy pattern on Damascus steel.
tr.v., -asked, -ask·ing, -asks.
  1. To damascene.
  2. To decorate or weave with rich patterns.

[Middle English, Damascus, damask, from Latin Damascus, from Greek Damaskos.]

damask dam'ask adj.

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
 
damask (dăm'əsk) [from Damascus], fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or man-made fibers, with a pattern formed by the weaving; e.g., the ground may be in twill weave, and the contrasting design in satin. True damasks are flat and reversible, thus differing from brocades. Splendid patterns, silks, and dyes were used by the Damascus weavers, sometimes with the addition of gold or silver thread. Fine linen table damask is one of the most beautiful examples of the modern weavers' art, in both pattern and texture. Double damask has more picks, or threads, to the inch than single; compound damask has one or two warps and two fillings.


Word Tutor: damask
Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A firm shiny reversible linen used especially for household linen.

pronunciation The couple were honored to receive the grandmother's damask as a wedding present.

Wikipedia: Damask
Top
Italian silk polychrome damasks, 14th century.

Damask (Arabic: دمسق‎) is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern.[1][2]

Contents

History

Damasks were one of the five basic weaving techniques of the Byzantine and Islamic weaving centres of the early Middle Ages,[3] and derive their name from their supposed origin in the city of Damascus, Syria.[4] Damasks were scarce after the ninth century outside of Islamic Spain, but were revived in some places in the thirteenth century.[5] By the fourteenth century, damasks were being woven on draw looms in Italy. From the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, most damasks were woven in a single colour, with a glossy warp-faced satin pattern against a duller ground. Two-colour damasks had contrasting colour warps and wefts, and polychrome damasks added gold and other metallic threads or additional colors as supplemental brocading wefts. Medieval damasks were usually woven in silk, but wool and linen damasks were also woven.[2][4]

Modern uses

Damask weaves are commonly produced today in monochromatic (single-colour) weaves in silk, linen or linen-type synthetic fabrics which feature patterns of flowers, fruit, and other designs. The long floats of satin-woven warp and weft threads cause soft highlights on the fabric which reflect light differently according to the position of the observer (a property known as "iridescence"). Damask weaves are most commonly found in table linens, but are also used for clothing and furnishings. Modern damasks are woven on computerized Jacquard looms.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Kadolph 2007, p. 251
  2. ^ a b Monnas 2008, p. 295
  3. ^ The five weaves were damask, tabby, twill, lampas and tapestry. See Jenkins 2003, p. 343
  4. ^ a b Monnas 2008, p. 299
  5. ^ Jenkins 2003, p. 343

References

  • Jenkins, David, ed.: The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003, ISBN 0521341078
  • Kadolph, Sara J., ed.: Textiles, 10th edition, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2007, ISBN 0131187694
  • Monnas, Lisa. Merchants, Princes and Painters: Silk Fabrics in Italian and Northern Paintings 1300-1550. London and New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008



Translations: Damask
Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - damask, damaskdug, damascenerstål
adj. - damask-, damaskvævet, damaskroserød
v. tr. - damaskvæve, damascere

Nederlands (Dutch)
damast(en), Damascener (staal), lichtrood

Français (French)
n. - damas, soie damassée, acier damassé
adj. - damassé, vieux rose, vermeil (littér)
v. tr. - damasser

Deutsch (German)
n. - Damast (Stoff), Damast-Stahl, Damast (rosa Farbe)
adj. - damasten
v. - damaszieren, mit Damast behängen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - δαμασκηνό ύφασμα ή ατσάλι, δαμάσκο
adj. - ροδαλός, δαμασκηνός, με στιλπνά κυματοειδή σχέδια

Italiano (Italian)
damasco

Português (Portuguese)
n. - damasco (m) (Tecido)
adj. - rosado

Русский (Russian)
дамасская сталь, темно-розовый

Español (Spanish)
n. - damasco, acero damasquino, damasquinado, adamascado, el color de la rosa de Damasco
adj. - damasco, adamascado
v. tr. - damasquinar, adamascar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - damast
adj. - ljusröd, rosenröd

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
缎子, 大马士革钢铁, 斜纹布, 淡红色的, 粉红色的, 大马士革钢制的, 花缎制的, 使织出花纹

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 緞子, 大馬士革鋼鐵, 斜紋布
adj. - 淡紅色的, 粉紅色的, 大馬士革鋼製的, 花緞製的
v. tr. - 使織出花紋

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 다마스크[천], 다마스크 강철, 담홍색
adj. - 다마스크[천]의, 다마스크 강철의
v. tr. - 무늬를 나타내다, 문직으로 하다, (얼굴을) 붉히다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ダマスク織, ダマスク織の絹布

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) قماش من الحرير أو الكتان عليه أشكال منسوجه مرئيه من جهتي القماش, الفولاذ الدمشقي, أحمر ضارب الى الرمادي (صفه) مصنوع من قماش الحرير أو الكتان عليه أشكال منسوجه مرئيه من وجهي القماش, لونه أحمر ضارب الى رمادي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אריג מעוטר, בד משי, פלדת דמשק‬
adj. - ‮דמשקי, ורוד, מעוטר, בנוסח אמנות דמשק‬
v. tr. - ‮ארג עם קיוטי דמויות‬


 
 

 

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
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
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Damask" Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more