The Early History of Velvet
Velvet has existed for thousands of years; there are records of it in ancient Egypt and China from approximately 2000 BC. Kashmiri merchants travelling to Baghdad in Iraq introduced velvet around 800 AD. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), Chinese silk workshops produced highly refined pile fabrics (although it is uncertain whether these textiles correspond exactly to what is now defined as velvet). Meanwhile, in Islamic countries, particularly in Persia and the Abbasid Caliphate, artisans were also weaving dense pile fabrics. These early velvets were usually woven from silk and often decorated with complex patterns woven directly into the pile structure and are highly treasured examples of early decorative antiques. By the time of the 1300s velvet was being traded on the Silk Route and had reached Medieval Europe, where it became highly prized.
Renaissance Velvet and Luxury Interiors
It was during the Renaissance that velvet production really achieved significant economic importance and became the fabric of choice for many luxury decorative antiques. The Italian cities of Venice, Florence and Genoa were at the forefront of this, with Milan following suit slightly later. These cities were ideally positioned geographically as seaports to access Western European and Eastern markets, including the Ottoman Empire.
Each area developed its own expertise and became renowned for a certain type of velvet production. Genoa was famous for weaving both black and crimson velvet, whereas Florence was known for making velvet with a looped metal bouclé within its thick pile. Venetian velvets were admired for their extravagant, intricate patterns, and were used to produce a wide range of antique decorative accessories. In the 16th and 17th centuries the city was home to more than 6,000 looms in workshops scattered across its islands, with 1,200 weavers painstakingly producing velvet to export around the world.
Velvet and Antique Furniture
Renaissance was dominated by a desire to demonstrate luxury and taste. Royalty, the clergy and the nobility - including the powerful and wealthy Medici family of Florence - widely used velvet antique decorative items as a way of reinforcing their status and authority.
It was highly sought after for upholstery on both English antique furniture and French antique furniture. There are wonderful examples of antique armchairs covered in crushed velvet, which was made by twisting the pile whilst wet. Cut velvet (where a pattern is cut into the pile) was also popular and used on decorative antique furniture such as bedroom screens.
The Vatican had rooms adorned in the very finest Italian velvet and in England Hampton Court Palace was famous for its richly decorated opulent velvet interiors full of antique furniture - Henry VIII even commissioned a velvet toilet seat!
Velvet Antique Textiles and Fashion
Some of the best antique textiles, especially antique cushions, were made from velvet woven with gold and silver thread. Velvet was also used to make elaborate clothing and ecclesiastical vestments, often further embellished with antique embroidery.
Antique oil paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods frequently depict garments made from velvet, with powerful figures shown clothed in decadent velvets. Artists used the richness of velvet to symbolise wealth, influence and refinement.
Traditional Velvet Manufacturing
Velvet achieved its status as the ultimate luxury fabric because of how complex it was to make. During Medieval and Renaissance times, it was woven by hand on double cloth draw looms using highly skilled techniques. This involved weaving two layers of fabric together, one above the other. The layers were then carefully cut apart with blades inserted during the weaving process, producing two separate fabrics with soft upright piles that we recognise as velvet.
This process took far longer than weaving plain fabric, required expensive silk and used a larger quantity of thread in the warp than flat pile textiles.
Manufacture was highly competitive - exact weaving techniques were complex and closely guarded secrets. The weavers themselves were members of professional Guilds and served long apprenticeships to gain professional status. In Venice Velvet Guilds strictly controlled the production of antique textiles - not only who could produce velvet but also how it was made - the quality, number of threads and the dyes used were carefully monitored and regulated by local laws.
Selvage stripes were woven specifically to show the quality and density of the silk thread. Merchants competed to create the most brilliant shades, paying premiums for dyes that did not fade with exposure to light, in order to produce the most vibrant antique decorative items possible.
At this time dyes were made from plants, minerals and, in the case of the finest red dyes, insects. Sumptuary laws also controlled who among the wealthiest classes could buy velvet. To purchase velvet you needed not only wealth, but influence and status within the highest levels of society.
Velvet Production Across Europe
Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries velvet production expanded across Europe. France became a major competitor, with systems of Royal Patronage offering significant support to cities such as Lyon. This helped to establish France as a leading producer of antique textiles and many luxury fabrics.
In the 1800s the Industrial Revolution transformed velvet production. Mechanical looms significantly increased production speed and capacity whilst reducing costs. In 1804 Joseph Marie Jacquard developed the first programmable loom, known as the Jacquard loom, revolutionising the production of patterned velvets.
Velvet in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Velvet production now takes place globally although there are still recognised centres of excellence. Over time new threads and fibres were introduced - initially cotton and later, during the twentieth century, polyester and other synthetic fibres. Today there are many combinations of threads used in velvet manufacture.
Throughout history - from the earliest civilisations through the opulence of the Renaissance and on to the Victorians, including Oscar Wilde who famously adored velvet, and later the swinging 1960s when psychedelic velvet jackets became synonymous with Bohemian London - velvet has retained its position as one of the most luxurious and recognisable fabrics.
Velvet Antiques at Mist Antiques
At Mist Antiques and Decorative Interiors, we love velvet. There is no fabric to match its tactile quality - its soft and subtle pile and the way it absorbs light, along with its durability and suitability for upholstery on antique furniture.
Please take a moment to explore the website as there are several velvet antique decorative items to browse, including a velvet domed casket box pictured above.
There are also 19th-century antiques, including a Napoleon III antique armchair recovered in Designers Guild velvet, also featured above. I chose to use polyester velvet on this chair to ensure it remained practical for everyday use. Designers Guild have a strong reputation for producing attractive, durable and hardwearing upholstery velvets.
You may also wish to learn more about the antique armchair upholstered in Linwood and Co Omega III polyester velvet. This fabric was selected not only for its rich moss colouring but also for its stain-resistant and washable qualities.
Also included in the image is a wonderful short run of bold, 1940s or 1950s, printed velvet.
Soon to be added to Mist Antiques and Decorative Interiors website are some more velvet antique chairs, this time upholstered in pure cotton velvet – do let me know if you would like more details.
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