08/16/2022
Commonly called shot silk, or change taffeta this particular material gains its iridescent look by weaving one color on the warp and a different color on the weft. A “shot” is a single throw of the bobbin that carries the weft thread through the warp. Using silk to create this fabric achieves the most spectacular results since silk fibers are a natural prism when viewed in cross section. Undyed silk is also translucent, allowing light to refract through the three sided form of the fiber.
A remnant of a clerical vestment from about 698 CE lets us know that this method of weaving has been around since at least the 7th century.
This delightful portrait got me thinking about shot silk. No surprise there.
Portrait of a Lady, 1837, by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller.