Aribbon orriband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying.[1] Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, andjute and of synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, andpolypropylene. Ribbon is used for useful, ornamental, andsymbolic purposes. Cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around thebody, and asornament on non-human animals, buildings, andpackaging. Some popular fabrics used to make ribbons aresatin,organza,sheer,silk,velvet, andgrosgrain.
The word ribbon comes fromMiddle Englishribban orriban fromOld Frenchruban, which is probably ofGermanic origin.[1]
Along with that oftapes,fringes, and other smallwares, the manufacture of cloth ribbons forms a special department of thetextile industries. The essential feature of a ribbonloom is the simultaneousweaving in one loom frame of two or more webs, going up to as many as forty narrow fabrics in modern looms. To affect the conjoined throwing of all the shuttles and the various other movements of the loom, the automatic action of the power-loom is necessary, and it is a remarkable fact that the self-acting ribbon loom was known and extensively used more than a century before thefamous invention of Cartwright. A loom in which several narrow webs could be woven at one time is mentioned as having been working inDanzig towards the end of the 16th century. Similar looms were at work inLeiden in 1620, where their use gave rise to so much discontent and rioting on the part of the weavers that the states-general had to prohibit their use. The prohibition was renewed at various intervals throughout the century, and in the same interval the use of the ribbon loom was interdicted in most of the principal industrial centres of Europe. In 1676, under the name of the Dutch loom or engine loom, it was brought to London, and although its introduction there caused some disturbance, it does not appear to have been prohibited. In 1745,John Kay, the inventor of the fly-shuttle, obtained, conjointly withJoseph Stell, a patent for improvements in the ribbon loom. Since that period, it has benefited by the inventions applied to weaving machinery generally.[2]
Ribbon-weaving is known to have been established nearSt. Etienne (dep. Loire) as early as the 11th century, and that town has remained the headquarters of the industry in Europe. During theHuguenot troubles, ribbon-weavers from St. Etienne settled atBasel, and there, established an industry which in modern times has rivalled that of the original seat of the trade. In the late 19th century a Frenchman known asC.M. Offray— himself from St. Etienne— moved his ribbon business to the United States and set up a company called "C.M. Offray & Sons, Inc" which went on to become a huge manufacturer of ribbons in North America. In Germany,Krefeld is the centre of the ribbon industry; the manufacture of blackvelvet ribbon being a specialty. In England.Coventry is the most important seat of ribbon-making, which is also prosecuted atNorwich andLeicester.[2]
While satin and other sorts of ribbon have always been used in lingerie, the usage of ribbon in theclothing industry, while subject tofashion trends, saw an upsurge in the mid to late 1990s. This upsurge led to increased ribbon manufacturing as well as new and improvedmanufacturing techniques. Due to more competitive production rates, as well as past experience in this field, companies in the Far East – especially those in China – gradually secured themselves to be the major ribbon suppliers in the world and improved both the quality and the variety of their merchandise to match those of their established European andNorth American competitors.
Presently, the North American continent remains the largest importer of ribbon and ribbon derivative products (such asbows,rosettes, and other garment accessories made from ribbon). However, due to outsourcing of production of garments by North American garment manufacturers, countries in Asia and South America have started to contribute to the change of the statisticalfigures of ribbon imports. Inspired by European silk ribbons obtained through trade,Great Lakes andPrairieNative American tribes createdart form ofappliquéribbon work.[3]
Typewriters anddot matrix printers use a cloth or plastic ribbon to hold theink.
Pieces of ribbon are used assymbols of support or awareness for various social causes and are called "awareness ribbons". Ribbons are used in some ceremonies, such as in aribbon cutting ceremony.[citation needed]
Yellow ribbon became a symbol for waiting for an armed services member to return home in the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown, recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1973, in the First Gulf War, and again in the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The yellow ribbon was tied to oak trees, and worn as a loop on the chest of coats and jackets (example ribbon):https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/yellow-awarenes-ribbon-gm1128273069-297679114 in the US.
In Leeds, UK, the sculptureRibbons byPippa Hale uses them as a motif, since - according to Hale - they "... tie many parts together, so the idea is that we are binding the names of these women together over time and space in a celebration of womanhood."[4]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ribbons".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 283.| Distinctions (Lists) |
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