Shot silk

History

A shot silk vestment 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. 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 of c.700 show garments of shot silk being worn by the Four Evangelists.

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".