ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of figured silk textiles in the transmission of weaving technology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. The many favourable properties of silk – smoothness, fineness, lustre, dye-receptivity, durability, drape, strength, and elasticity – had an important role in shaping the material culture of the Byzantine world. Most importantly, its mechanical properties, which combine strength and elasticity, stimulated the development of new pattern weaving technologies. The development of compound weave structures was a major advance in weaving technology. A cross-collection programme for analysing figured silks requires a number of resources, including specialised equipment and methods for textile characterisation and analysis. Material characterisation evaluates the qualities of yarns as products of organised processes, comprising sub-assemblies for textile weaving. Classification of figured silks on the basis of structural characteristics is a departure from the now outdated attribution method that combined alleged find spots with certain descriptive characteristics.
