Damask
Also known as: Damask fabric
Single-colour figured fabric alternating warp and weft satin to reveal motifs through lustre contrast alone.
Description
Damask is a figured fabric whose pattern is produced by alternating warp-faced and weft-faced satin: areas with the warp on top look lustrous, areas with the weft on top look matt. Both zones use the satin weave but in opposite direction. Because only one yarn colour is used, the motif appears as a pure tone-on-tone play of light — face and back show negative images of each other.
Damask is traditionally woven on Jacquard looms that control every warp thread individually and allow complex floral, ornamental or heraldic patterns. Classic fibres are silk (historically from Damascus, giving the name), cotton (mercerised for lustre), linen (table damask) and today also viscose and polyester. Weights are 140-280 g/m² for apparel textiles, up to 400 g/m² for upholstery.
Uses: table linen (Mako damask), bed linen, high-end napkins, curtains, ecclesiastical vestments, neckties and upholstery. In hospitality, cotton damask is standard for premium table service.
Properties
| Weave type | Alternating warp/weft satin (Jacquard) |
|---|---|
| Typical fibres | Silk, cotton, linen, viscose |
| Appearance | Tone-on-tone, matt/gloss contrast |
| Use | Table & bed linen, upholstery |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Damast Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damast
- Textile Institute textileinstitute.org https://www.textileinstitute.org/
