Cloth of gold

History

While cloth of gold has been popular for ecclesiastical use for many centuries, the earliest mentions of the use of cloth of gold are found in Vedic texts of South Asia. Earlier uses can be traced back to Central and South Asia where ancient Irani peoples have mentioned use of a fabric woven with gold. In eastern Asia, Chinese weavers had also used the technique of weaving gold into silk fabrics to create designs. Under Henry VII of England, its use was reserved to royalty and higher levels of nobility. Cloth of gold continued to be the fabric of choice for royalty, nobility and the elite across the globe for centuries as a show of wealth and power. It is also used today by companies such as Charvet for neckwear.

Few extant examples have survived in Roman provincial tombs. Later producers of cloth of gold include the Byzantine Empire and Medieval Italian weavers, particularly in Genoa, Venice and Lucca. Dating from the 1460s the Waterford cloth-of-gold vestments are made from Italian silk woven in Florence. The panels were embroidered in Bruges which was the centre of the medieval embroidery industry. A similar cloth of silver was also made. It is still made in India and Europe today.

Use at Coronation of King Charles III

King Charles III re-used the Supertunica made from cloth of gold at his coronation on 6 May 2023. The full-length, sleeved coat is an important historic textile from the royal collection, weighing around two kilograms. It has been worn at several previous coronations in the United Kingdom.

Other

• Cloth of gold is not to be confused with various goldwork embroidery techniques that date back to antiquity, though the type of goldwork thread called "passing" is identical to the weft thread of cloth of gold.
• Most modern metallic fabrics made in the West are known as lamé.
• Cloth of gold is a familiar name occasionally applied to the venomous Conus textile species of cone shell.
• Tilsent is a luxurious silken cloth interwoven with flattened threads of gold or silver.

Images

File:Goudlaken satijnbinding voorzijde.jpg|satin-weave cloth of gold, front File:Goudlaken satijnbinding achterzijde.jpg|satin-weave cloth-of-gold, back File:Goudlaken keperbinding voorzijde.jpg|twill-weave cloth-of-gold, front File:Goudlaken keperbinding achterzijde.jpg|twill-weave cloth-of-gold, back

References

• The Roman Textile Industry and Its Influence. A Birthday Tribute to John Peter Wild. Edited by Penelope Walton Rodgers, et al.

Bibliography

• Joycelyne Gledhill Russell: The Field of Cloth of Gold: Men and Manners in 1520. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1969

References

1. Hayward, Maria. (2009). "Rich apparel: clothing and the law in Henry VIII's England". Ashgate Publishing.
2. Misener, Jessica. (2017-12-06). "Real Gold Necktie Developed In Switzerland Will Cost You $8,500 (PHOTOS)".
3. (1977). "A Roman Tomb at Manaḥat, Jerusalem". Israel Exploration Journal.
4. Waters, Conny. (2022-08-13). "Unique Ancient Gold Cloth Found In The Necropolis Of Saint-Pierre-l'Estrier Is The Largest Antique Piece Found To Date".
5. (2021-08-30). "Vittae Auratae: Interpreting the History and Technology of a Group of Roman Gold Textile Fragments".
6. Jane Burns, E.. (2009). "Sea of silk: a textile geography of women's work in medieval French literature". University of Pennsylvania Press.
7. "Cloths of Gold: National Institute of Fashion and Technology".
8. Harris, Rob. (2 May 2023). "Charles to recycle robes and thrones for more sustainable coronation". The Sydney Morning Herald.
9. "Cloth-of-Gold". Eyefetch.
10. (2014). "Henry VIII : the quest for fame". Allen Lane.