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Shot silk (also calledchangeant,[1]changeable silk,changeable taffeta,cross-color,changeable fabric,[2] or"dhoop chaon" ("sunshine shade")[3]) is afabric which is made up ofsilkwoven fromwarp and weft yarns of two or more colours producing an iridescent appearance.[4] A "shot" is a single throw of thebobbin that carries the weft thread through the warp,[4] and shot silk colours can be described as "[warp colour]shot with [weft colour]." The weaving technique can also be applied to other fibres, such as cotton, linen, and synthetics.
A shot silkvestment 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.[5] An argument has been made that shot silk was also described aspurpura at this time. The Latin word mainly applied to purple, although there are multiple references topurpura being red, green, and black-and-red, as well as "varied".[5]Purpura is also used to mean iridescence and the play of light, and medieval descriptions exist indicating that the textilepurpura was a type of silk, distinct from other silks, in assorted colours.[5] It has also been suggested thatilluminations in theLindisfarne Gospels of c.700 show garments of shot silk being worn by theFour Evangelists.[6]
Shot silks were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, including variants utilisingwarp printing, where the warp was printed before weaving, to create chiné or "Pompadour taffeta".[7]
Shot silks are used today to make various kinds of garments, includingball gowns andneckties. Notably, some forms ofacademic dress use shot silks, such as those of theUniversity of Wales and theUniversity of Cambridge. For example, the robes of a CambridgeDoctor of Divinity are faced with "dove" silk, which is turquoise shot with rose-pink, to create an overall grey effect.[8][9]
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