History of Textiles Final Exam Questions

Who was Alexander the Great and why is he important in textile history?

- student of Aristotle - defeated Persian army in order to extend Greek empire - grew large metropolitan centers - ultimate goal was fusion of the Persian and Green cultures

What do we know about fabric count of mummy cloth? What fiber was used in mummy cloth and why?

-5' by 60' -Higher fabric count for higher rank -From 2500 B.C., fabric with >500 warps per inch—not able to do that with modern technology until recently -Fibers—linen only in tombs, wool and leather considered impure

What sea to the east of current day Greece gives a general name to the cultures that preceded classical Greece? What interesting things stands out about those cultures?

-Aegean Sea - Minoan: snake goddess - Mycenaean: warriors - Phoenician: tyrian purple

What is another name for the anthemion design? What is the acanthus design? What are festoons?

-Anthemion = honeysuckle -Acanthus = leaves -Festoons = Flowers, fruit or foliage suspended by ribbons or swag

What is the Royal Standard of Ur and why is it important in the history of textiles?

-Banner representing the city state or its leader -Ur was mentioned in the bible

Who was the leader that moved the capital of the Roman Empire and what did he do that strongly affected the Byzantine designs?

-Constantine -mixed cultures and emphasized religion

To what do we attribute the existence of some of the oldest extant textiles? About how old are the oldest ones?

-Dry climate -Burial practices -Pictorial sources -Written sources -One of oldest pieces is in Bolton Museum in United Kingdom, 5000 B.C

What are frescoes and why are they important?

-Frescoes—water color using pigments -Some of early color on cloth using same pigments -Important for the information they provide -Cultivation of flax, spinning and weaving of cloth

What kind of loom did the Egyptians use and how do we know that?

-Ground loom -Single shuttle -Seen in fresco painting

What ancient poet/writer is the early stage of Greek history named for? What famous works did he write?

-Homer -Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey

What is the hom and what are some of its key aspects? Why is it important?

-It is part of the Tree of Life -Originally depicted as a wild beast -Later tamed animals

What do we know about the use of color in Egyptian textiles? What famous Pharaoh's tomb provided some good information about that?

-Linen "tapestries" actually produced by embroidery technique -Colorful fabrics suggest influence of interaction with Mesopotamia -King Tut -Early in New Kingdom -Much information and artifacts from his tomb -needlework ornamented with colored linen threads and beadwork - -brown and light green, red and white, sky blue -time period of the intricate pleating of sheer linens -vertical looms in place by now

What is the Greek key design? What else is it called and where did it get that name?

-Named for Meander River in Turkey -Design in pavement in Rhodes

What fruit motif is commonly used for designs? What other motifs and textile characteristics are common?

-Pomegranate -Rosettes -Circles -Embroidery -Tree of Life: Assyrian -Animals: lion

What other common motifs occur in Greek designs and what similarities occur with motifs in other cultures?

-Scrolls and waves -Ivy & laurel vines

What fibers were used by the Mesopotamians? How did they access those fibers?

-wool -linen -goat hair -Fringe -By interacting with the Egyptians

What were the five social classes in Egyptian and what philosophy supported that?

1. Royal Family- pharaoh 2. priests 3. aristocracy 4. middle class 5. Serfs

What period was going on in Europe when kalamkari and palampore became popular there?

17th century. The coming of the british increased demand for the fabric to be used in decoration

What was khadi and what was its role?

A form of handspun cotton encouraged by Gandhi for the purpose of creating employment for the poor

What are some key coloration techniques associated with India?

Block Printing, bandhani, ikat,

What was the Byzantine Empire and why was it called that? Know approximate dates for its beginning and end.

Byzantine Empire 330-1453 A.D. Fall of Rome to Renaissance Constantine defeated Rome, Rome was a capital city Capital moved to Byzantium Christianity mixed with Oriental Islamic (Persian) influence also

Where is one of the famous excavations of these people? When was the site discovered?

Catal Huyuk, discovered in 1958

What is on the flag of India?

Charkha, symbol of self reliance

Be able to discuss some of the important motifs that developed in India.

Circle - Eternity Zigzag - Water and Lightening Swastika - Sun, life, eternity Meandering Lines - Continuity of Life Tree - Bounty Buta/Bhutta Cones/Mango Later called Paisley for a town in Scotland that appropriated the design

What were the Roman clavi?

Cloak for showing rank or occasion

What significant change happened in India in 1757?

Colonization

What do we know about the interaction between Mesopotamian cultures and Egyptian culture?

Colorful fabrics suggest influence of interaction with Mesopotamia

Who conquered the Roman Empire and moved the capital away from Rome?

Constantine moved the capital to Byzantine

Where did these two cultures develop? Around what rivers?

Egypt: northeast Africa near the nile river. Mesopotamian: Fertile crescent, tigris and Euphrates river

What is kalamkari?

Elaborate and detailed hand painting of fine pictorial designs Wood or metal stylus Earliest one portrayed Indian mythology At its peak during the Mughal period Combined with block printing or resist printing

What is a common embellishment technique used on Indian textiles and what makes it unique?

Embroidered - special social value Bridal gifts. Typically the designs are made in bold colorful strokes with dark outline. In the Gujarat state only the bead work shows Metallic yarns Mirrors, beads

What significant change happened in India in 400 BC?

Establishment and outline of Buddhism by Gautama Buddha; previously Hindu and it remained

Who are the Sumerians and what important developments of theirs affected the history of all Mesopotamian cultures?

Garments of skin were first (kaunakes) First Shepherds Wool Linen Goat Hair Fringe Cuneiform writing, wheels Ziggurats, math, cities

What is a chiton?

Greek tunic made from two pieces of linen that was pinned at the shoulder and belted at the waist

What is palampore?

Kalamkari Bed Cover

Explain the development of calico as we know it.

Laws passed in England to prevent the import of printed fabric, so they would import the undyed fabric and print it in England, This was one of the factors that encourage Thomas Bell to develop the roller printing machine. The roller printer was most successful at first with small designs and these small prints on this fabric were called calicoes. Because the fabric was affordable, it was shipped for the settlers and became associated with the American colonial period

What fibers were used to produce chiton fabric and how did that change over time?

Linen and sometimes wool. -Archaic period (500 BCE): several civilizations influenced each other Dorians invaded (1200 BCE): wool -Ionian period (700, 600 BCE) Higher quality textile industry Produced finer materials that improved drape style Developed extensive trading in -Mediterranean Classical period (300, 400 BCE): Draped style No sewing, held by ribbons and pins Pleating

Which of these is known as the Fertile Crescent and the Cradle of Civilization and why?

Mesopotamia. This area identified in the Bible as location of Garden of Eden. Many of earliest evidences of Neolithic man found in this area.

What is the general name of the people groups that lived in the Indus Valley? How long ago did these civilizations exist?

Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa 2500-1700 B.C.

What dyes/color commonly used?

Most commonly done with indigo dye Occasionally use madder or purple root

What do we know about Pharaohs and pyramids? Why is that important in textile history?

Pharaoh: -son of sun god; -head of state and chief priest of faith; -must marry immediate family member to preserve divine blood Pyramids: -2700 B.C. oldest -Largest--Giza -100,000 men -2.3 million stone blocks -20 years -Provided jobs, economic support -About 80 remain Importance: -These tombs provide artifacts included well preserved fabrics. -Some also have frescoes (water colors using pigment).

What are the key periods of Egyptian history and what important aspects of culture developed in each of those?

Pre-dynastic: prior to 3100 B.C. -Hieroglyphics, irrigation, weaving of linen, wool Old Kingdom: 3100 B.C. to 2200 B.C. -Pharaohs, pyramids (intervening feudal period) Middle Kingdom: 2050 B.C. to 1786 B.C. -Cultural brilliance, temples Hyksos:1756 B.C. to 1575 B.C. -Invaders, horses, chariots Empire: 1575 B.C. to 1087 B.C. -Military power, slavery

Most common dyes and colors?

Red - Chay/Chaya widely used in southern India Cloths first treated with an alum mordant The second source was the madder plant Indigo - Introduced to western India from Africa and Persia Vibrant Blues

What Greek designs show Mesopotamian influence?

Rosettes

What luxury fiber was worn by all Romans?

Silk

What do we know about color in Greek/Roman textiles?

That there was probably more colors than we realize, especially in earlier periods.

Bandhani in India

Tie Dyeing - known as bandhani in northern India, from which the English world bandanna is derived.

Ikat in India

Tie-dye/resist technique Patola--double ikat both the warp and weft are bound

What is shibori and where did it originate?

Traditional resist-dyeing techniques Originated in Japan

What typical Greek motifs are found in those areas?

Trims- Fret pattern, flowers, circles, and stripes

What significant change happened in India in 1498?

Vasco de Gamma—opened safer silk trade route between Europe and India; Portugese

Where was color incorporated in chitons?

Women- red, yellow, green, blue, or purple (royalty) Men- beige or white

What is Dacca muslin?

a very sheer cotton material Referred to as "morning dew" Fine embroidery Big hit with the Europeans

What is tanjore? What fabric structure is involved?

all over gold patterns used for wedding and temple. Brocade

What is pashmina? Dacca muslin? Jamdani

from underbelly of the Himalayan goat in Kashmir. Pashma means wool

What was different about chintz? How did Indian chintz differ from European chintz?

glazed calico cloth printed with large, multi-colored floral designs From the Sanskrit "chitra" which means many-colored or speckled. Europeans preferred cream background, Indians dark background Threatened wool market in England

What is the finest type of shibori and what characterizes it?

hidatori. Set very close together, finely pleated, precisely bound

What is arashi shibori and how is it produced? What does the name mean and how does that reflect the coloration pattern?

pole wrapping shibori, Japanese for storm, suggest rain driven by strong wind. To produce: Wind a long, narrow kimono cloth (14 in. X 12 yds.) diagonally Cloth is then wound with a tying thread Small puckered creases Pushing and scrunching on the pole Entire pole dipped into a large trough-like dye vat (by men).

What is a charkha, when was it first introduced, and who encouraged its revival in the early 20th century? Why?

spinning wheel, encouraged by ghandi to promote self sufficiency for India

What threatens the survival of shibori today?

tye-dye modernized and mass produced, lack of artisans and producers

What is Jamdani?

woven air" is a fine woven fabric from Bangledesh Discontinuous extra-weft fabrics on gauze-like muslin Supplemental wefts are not taken from selvedge to selvedge