Lampas is a type of luxuryfabric created on a draw loom with a backgroundweft (a "ground weave") typically intaffeta with supplementary wefts (the "pattern wefts") laid on top and forming a design, sometimes also with a "brocading weft". Lampas is typicallywoven in silk, and often has gold and silver thread enrichment. The lampas technique could be used to create complex designs, including figural and floral motifs in a range of colors. The designs could at time reflect cultural significance depending on where and for what purpose it was created. The use of lampas was not limited to clothing; it was also employed for interior furnishings, including curtains and upholstery, as well as tapestry. Lampas can be seen in both modern weaving and throughout history, where it spread through trade routes and cultural exchanges.
A Lampas weave is one of the five basic weaving techniques—the others beingtabby,twill,Damask, andtapestry—of theearly Middle AgesByzantine andMiddle Eastern weaving centers. Lampas-weave was often associated with the silk industry and luxury market, often incorporating gilt threads. This is not surprising, since such a complex fabric would commonly be woven in expensive materials such as silk and precious metal.
Lampas in Asia and the Middle East
While the word Lampas itself is French in origin, the textile was actually developed in Central Asia in the 10th century CE and could be found in places including but not limited to China, India, Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt.[1] The rapid adoption of the textile across Asia as well as Europe can be attributed to the fact that it was a sturdy yet flexible weave and could be made relatively quickly.
Particular developments were made to the textile in theSafavid court in Iran. Lampas was produced within workshops in urban centers such asYazd andKashan and was traded both within and beyond the Iranian border.[2] Several examples of Safavid era textiles have survived and they demonstrate the ability of lampas to capture large figural scenes using a variety of colors, creating an effect similar to a painting. The subject of the weaves in Safavid Iran often took inspiration from Persian poetry epics and the manuscript paintings commissioned by the Shahs.[3] The structure of leadership in Safavid Iran under the Shah was one of the reasons why lampas production was so successful there. Royal workshops were established underShah Tahmasp (1524–1576) which stimulated textile production and the refinement of weaving techniques.[4] UnderShah Abbas I (1587–1629) the state sponsored textile manufacturing program continued and the exportation of luxury textiles including silk lampas to heads of state and religious leaders could be seen.[5]
During the time of lampas production in Safavid Iran there was also a thriving textile market in China. In fact severalYuan dynasty style motifs can be seen in the lampas patterns of Eastern Iran during theIlkanhid period.[6] Lampas was popular as a luxury weave within China during this time, with gold and silver threads being used in motifs.[7]
Similar to the structure of royal workshops in Safavid Iran, theOttoman Empire also centralized textile production within their empire. Weaving workshops inBursa were well established by the fifteenth century, and were the main producers of Lampas orkemha as it is known in Turkish.[8] Ottoman lampas and velvet textiles often featured large-scale design patterns featuring floral motifs that were designed by thenakkaşhane, the central palace workshop.[9]
Indian textiles also demonstrate use of the lampas technique, with particular historical records of its use inAssam, a city that was known for itssilk production and place along the Silk Road trade routes. TheVrindavani Vastra is a surviving religious drape from the 16th century that illustrates the childhood activities ofLord Krishna.[10] Its large size of more than nine meters in length and important spiritual context depicted through the weaving process of lampas shows that the technique was labor intensive and required an immense amount of skill.[11]
Lampas in EuropeAfter lampas developed in Central Asia in the 10th century CE it reached Islamic Spain by the 12th c. CE.Al-Andalus, and particularlyGranada quickly became a producer and distributor of lampas textiles to Christian kings throughout Europe.[12] The lampas weave was particularly sought after for its sumptuousness, often being worn by religious and political elites. By the 13th century, Lampas-weave had become the dominant technique for the figured silks woven in Italy.[13]Lucca,Venice,Florence,Bologna, andGenoa are known to have been the principal silk weaving cities in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries, although it is not known which was the main producer of lampas.[14] Beginning late in the 17th century western lampas production began centered inLyon, France, where an industry of providing for French and other European courts became centered.[15] Lampas was a very popular weave during theRococo era of theBourbon monarchy and can be seen in the decoration of thePetit Trianon atVersailles as well as in court clothing.[16]
Lampas continues to be used as a luxury weaving technique to this day. Some notable examples of Lampas weave can be seen in theWhite HouseBlue Room. Silk lampas chairs were woven byScalamandré Silks in 1995 based on a c. 1816 French design.[17]
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