Thewarp-weighted loom is a simple and ancient form ofloom in which thewarp yarns hang freely from a bar, which is supported by upright poles which can be placed at a convenient slant against a wall. Bundles of warp threads are tied to hanging weights calledloom weights which keep the threads taut.[1]
Evidence of the warp-weighted loom appears in theNeolithic period in central Europe. It is depicted in artifacts ofBronze Age in Greece. Loom weights from the Bronze Age were excavated inMiletos, a Greek city in Anatolia.[2] The warp-weighted looms were common throughout Europe, remaining in use in some areas ofScandinavia into the modern era.
InSápmi, the warp-weighted loom is a living cultural heritage today, particularly in use for weaving of traditional blankets among the Sea Sami.[3]
The warp tension needed on a loom is roughly proportional to yarn diameter, and loom weights must be positioned in an even, level row, with all the threads hanging nearly straight down, for smooth weaving. This means that the shape of a loom weight limits a loom to certainthread counts, and the mass of the loom weight is related to the yarn used. This means that loom weights can be used to calculate the density and other properties of the fabric made on them.[4]
The warp-weighted loom may have originated in theNeolithic period. The earliest evidence of warp-weighted looms comes from sites belonging to theStarčevo culture in modern Serbia and Hungary from late Neolithic sites in Switzerland.[5] This loom was used inAncient Greece, and spread north and west throughout Europe thereafter.[6] It was extensively used in the north among Scandinavian people.[7] For yet unknown reasons, the warp-weighted loom diminished in popularity and disappeared from common use.[8] The arrival of mechanized looms and industry may have contributed to this decline. It remained in use longest in Scandinavia; researcher Marta Hoffman found warp-weighted looms still in use in the 1950s inHålandsdal Municipality inHordaland county and among theSami of Norway and Finland.[9] Today, the warp-weighted loom is used as a hobby and in historic preservation societies.[10]
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| Elements of a warp-weighted loom |
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A warp-weighted loom has two uprightposts (C); they support a horizontalbeam (D), which is cylindrical so that the finished cloth can be rolled around it, allowing the loom to be used to weave a piece of cloth taller than the loom, and preserving an ergonomic working height. The warp threads (F, and A and B) hang from the beam and rest against theshed rod (E). Theheddle-bar (G) is tied to some of the warp threads (A, but not B), using loops of string calledleashes (H). So when the heddle rod is pulled out and placed in the forked sticks protruding from the posts (not lettered, no technical term given in citation), theshed (1) is replaced by thecounter-shed (2). By passing the weft through the shed and the counter-shed, alternately, cloth is woven.[11] |
The warp-weighted loom is used in a near-vertical position, and the fabric is woven from the top of the loom toward the ground. This allows the weaver to walk back-and-forth while working, so that wider cloth can be woven than is practical on a ground loom. On Ancient Greekvase paintings, two weavers, most often women, are shown working side-by-side on the warp-weighted loom.[10] This is unusual because most other looms require a resting position of standing or sitting. According toArtemidorus, if one dreams of a warp-weighted loom it means an upcoming journey. If one dreams of any other type of loom, one should expect rest.[12]
Additionally, extra warp thread can be wound around the weights. When a weaver has reached the bottom of the available warp, the completed section can be rolled around the top beam, and additional lengths of warp threads can be unwound from the weights to continue. This frees the weaver from vertical size constraints.[11]
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