Velvet 140886 226107770 2008-07-16T21:18:35Z PKM 261669 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 226080555 by [[Special:Contributions/12.144.180.4|12.144.180.4]] ([[User talk:12.144.180.4|talk]]) {{otheruses4|the fabric}} [[Image:Black Cotton velvet.JPG|thumb|300px|Swatch of black cotton velvet decorator fabric used for drapery]] '''Velvet''' is a type of tufted [[textile|fabric]] in which the cut [[yarn|thread]]s are very evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it a distinct feel. == Composition == Velvet can be made from many different kinds of fibers. It is [[weaving|woven]] on a special [[loom]] that weaves two pieces of velvet at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart and the two lengths of fabric are wound on separate take-up rolls. Velvet's knitted counterpart is [[velour]]. Velvet was very expensive and was considered to be among the luxury goods together with [[silk]]. [[Corduroy]] and [[velveteen]] were considered the "poor man's velvet" when they were first produced. Velvet is difficult to clean, but in modern times, [[dry cleaning]] is used. Panne is a type of finish for velvet which gives it a special shiny look, similar to many velours. Velvet is made, ideally, from [[silk]]. [[Cotton]] can also be used, though this often results in a slightly less luxurious fabric. More recently, synthetic velvets have been developed, mostly [[polyester]], [[nylon]], [[viscose]], [[acetate]] and mixtures of different synthetics, or synthetics and natural fibres (eg. viscose and silk). Velvet can also be made from fibres such as [[linen]], [[mohair]] and [[wool]]. A cloth made by the [[Kuba]] people of the [[Democratic Republic of Congo]] from [[raffia]] is often referred to as [[Velours du Kasai|"Kuba velvet"]]. A small percentage of [[lycra]] is used sometimes to give stretch. == History == The art of velvet-weaving probably originated in ancient [[Kashmir]]. Earliest references occur around the beginning of the [[14th century]]. The peculiar properties of velvet, the splendid yet softened depth of [[dye]] colour it exhibited, made it fit for official robes and sumptuous hangings. The most magnificent textiles of medieval times were Italian velvets. These were ornamentated by such techniques in [[silk]], with uncut pile or with a ground of [[gold leaf|gold tissue]], etc. The earliest sources of European artistic velvets were [[Lucca]], [[Genoa]], [[Florence]] and [[Venice]], and Genoa continues to send out rich velvet textures. Somewhat later the art was taken up by [[Flemings|Flemish]] weavers, and in the 16th century [[Bruges]] attained a reputation for velvets which was not inferior to that of the great Italian cities. ==Black velvet paintings==<!-- This section is linked from [[Black Velvet]] --> {{splitsection}} [[Image:Velvet Painting Girl.jpg|thumb|A black velvet painting]] Velvet [[painting]]s are widely sold in rural America, and usually have [[kitsch]] themes. They often depict images of [[Elvis Presley]] (see [[Velvet Elvis]]), [[Dale Earnhardt]], [[John Wayne]], [[Jesus]], [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], and [[cowboy]]s. They can also include more exotic or avant-garde themes. [[Ciudad Juárez]], [[Mexico]] was the [[Florence]] of velvet painting in the 1970s. A displaced Georgia farmboy, Doyle Harden, was the pioneer who created an enormous factory, where velvets were turned out by the thousands by artists sitting in studios{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. One artist would paint one piece of the picture, then slide the velvet along to the next artist, who would add something else. That way velvet paintings were mass produced by hand, fueling the boom in velvet paintings in the 1970s in the United States. A brief history of black velvet paintings is presented by Pamela Liflander in ''Black Velvet Artist,'' a booklet published by Running Press, Philadelphia, 2003, and included in an identically-titled art kit. She notes that "The birthplace of black velvet paintings can be traced to ancient [[Kashmir]], which is considered to be the fabric's original homeland. These paintings were religious in nature, portraying the iconic artwork of the [[Caucasus]] region by [[Russian Orthodox]] priests." She further wrote that [[Marco Polo]] and others introduced the West to this art form, and that some of these early works still hang in the [[Vatican Museums|Vatican]]. Liflander also details the life of [[Edgar Leeteg]] (1904&ndash;1953), "the father of American black velvet [[kitsch]]," whose "raucous and bawdy" life was previously captured by [[James Michener]] in ''Rascals in Paradise'' ([[1957]]). == References == {{1911}} == External links == * [http://www.velveteria.com/index2.htm Velveteria, The Museum of Velvet Paintings in Portland, Oregon] {{fabric}} [[Category:Pile fabrics]] [[ca:Vellut]] [[cs:Samety a plyše]] [[de:Samt]] [[es:Terciopelo]] [[fi:Sametti]] [[fr:Velours]] [[it:Velluto]] [[lb:Samett]] [[nl:Fluweel]] [[ja:ベルベット]] [[pl:Welwet]] [[pt:Veludo]] [[ru:Бархат (ткань)]] [[sv:Sammet]] [[tr:Kadife]]