Damask – Fabric for princes

Heaven and Hell by Wanja Djanaieff Heaven – a damask story

The artistic weaving technique, called damask, is said to have first been created in Damascus, hence the name. It was the fabric that was woven for the princes' magnificent clothes and for purely decorative purposes. Even today, damask is considered one of the most elegant fabrics. Damask is a mostly single-colored fabric, where the pattern and/or figures are formed in warp satin on a base of weft satin or vice versa. The effect is achieved by the light being reflected differently from the warp and weft surfaces, so that the pattern either appears shiny against a matte background or matte against a shiny background. The technique can also be used for two-color patterns with a very elegant effect.

Growing, preparing, spinning and weaving flax is an ancient art in our country, but the art of weaving patterned linen was hardly known in Sweden before the 17th century. Naturally, the splendor-loving “great power era” attracted skilled weavers here. In 1696, Queen Hedvig Eleonora placed large orders for tablecloths and napkins with some weavers in Stockholm. This marked the beginning of Swedish linen damask production. There are still three napkins preserved from the early 18th century with her crowned name cipher and “Three Crowns” woven into them. Today, tablecloths and napkins in linen damask with Sweden’s “Three Crowns” woven into them are delivered by us at Klässbols Linneväveri to Swedish embassies all over the world.