What is lampas?
History
From the Umeyyades' times (7th-8th Centuries) onwards, from Bagdad to Al-Andalus through Fatimid Egypt (10th-12th Centuries), the Islamic civilisation distinguished itself by the extreme refinement of its textile arts. Testifying to the great value attached to these arts, the most prestigious among the weaving factories in the Muslim world were placed under royal patronage. In these workshops, which were called Dar al tiraz, gorgeous figured fabrics made of wool, linen and above all silk were produced: samits and taquetés until the 12th Century, thereafter superseded by lampases.
The lampas technique seem to have been invented in the 11th Century, either in Bagdad or in Chiraz (Persia). It was most probably created by improving the existing weft-patterned weaves (samits and taquetés). Being a major innovation in the world of textiles, it spread fairly quickly, first to Antioch (in today's Turkey), Egypt, Spain, then to Italy and Northern Africa.
To read more about the textile arts in the medieval islamic world, visit the Mediterranean Heritage, Qantara.
Technique
Following the example of samits and taquetés, lampases involve the use of two warps which interact with several wefts (at least two but usually more than two), resulting in an unprecedented use of polychromy in woven patterns. The main warp is for the ground whereas the auxiliary warp, also called binding warp, binds the figure wefts to the ground.
The result is astonishing, close to embroidery, not only because the woven figures are extremely fine but also because they give the impression that they are raised patterns. This impression stems from the three following technical aspects: first of all, the binding structure of the designs and of the ground are opposite (the former are weft-wise, while the latter is warp-wise); secondly, the ground is monochrome (the same colour is used for both ground weft and ground warp) whereas the designs are polychrome; lastly, the weft threads are much thicker than the warp threads. As a result, the designs are strikingly enhanced, remarkably standing out on the ground.
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