Shot silk (also called changeant, changeable silk, changeable taffeta, cross-color, changeable fabric, or "dhoop chaon" ("sunshine shade")) is a

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

which is made up of

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

woven from

warp and weft In the manufacture of cloth, warp and weft are the two basic components in weaving to transform thread and yarn into textile fabrics. The vertical ''warp'' yarns are held stationary in tension on a loom (frame) while the horizontal ''weft'' ...

yarns of two or more colours producing an iridescent appearance. A "shot" is a single throw of the

bobbin A bobbin or spool is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which yarn, thread, wire, tape or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in industrial textile machinery, as well as in sewing machines, fishing reels, tape measures ...

that carries the weft thread through the warp, and shot silk colours can be described as " arp colour''shot with'' eft colour" The weaving technique can also be applied to other fibres, such as cotton, linen, and synthetics.

History

A shot silk

vestment Vestments are Liturgy, liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christianity, Christian religion, especially by Eastern Christianity, Eastern Churches, Catholic Church, Catholics (of all rites), Lutherans, and Anglicans. ...

of purple and yellow, dating from about 698, is described in detail in a document written in about 1170, showing that the technique has existed since at least the 7th century.Dodwell, C.R. (1982).
Anglo-Saxon Art, A New Perspective
'. Manchester University Press. pp. 145–150. . An argument has been made that shot silk was also described as ''purpura'' at this time. The Latin word mainly applied to purple, although there are multiple references to ''purpura'' being red, green, and black-and-red, as well as "varied". ''Purpura'' is also used to mean iridescence and the play of light, and medieval descriptions exist indicating that the textile ''purpura'' was a type of silk, distinct from other silks, in assorted colours. It has also been suggested that illuminations in the

Lindisfarne Gospels The Lindisfarne Gospels (London, British Library Cotton MS Nero D.IV) is an illuminated manuscript gospel book probably produced around the years 715–720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, which is now in the Bri ...

of c.700 show garments of shot silk being worn by the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

. Shot silks were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, including variants utilising warp printing, where the warp was printed before weaving, to create chiné or "Pompadour taffeta".

Current use

Shot silks are used today to make various kinds of garments, including ballgowns and

neckties A necktie, long tie, or simply a tie, is a cloth article of formal neckwear or office attire worn for decorative or symbolic purposes, resting under a folded shirt collar or knotted at the throat, and usually draped down the chest. On rare oc ...

. Notably, some forms of

academic dress Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academia, academic settings, mainly tertiary education, tertiary (and sometimes secondary schools, secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree (or simila ...

use shot silks, such as those of the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

and the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. For example, the robes of a Cambridge

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

are faced with "dove" silk, which is turquoise shot with rose-pink, to create an overall grey effect.

Notes

References

* {{Authority control Woven fabrics

History

Current use

See also

Notes

References