DAMASK
Damask is a textile in the brocade and jacquard family of ancient Chinese origins. It was exported to Europe via the trading port in Damascus, Syria after which it was named. By the 14th century damask was being manufactured in France and Italy and by the 18th century it had been domesticated and was commonly regarded as a European textile. Due its durability it is mainly used for furnishings such as upholstery, drapery and wall coverings.
Damask was introduced to Nigeria and Benin at the beginning of the 20th century where it was used to fabricate men’s and women’s clothing in traditional styles. Damask clothing was, and continues to be, a symbol of high status though its popularity has waned since its heyday of the 1950’s – 1970’s.
Damask has not made a single appearance in the literature on African clothing and textile history, despite its relevance, because it does not meet the EuroAmerican vision of African authenticity.
The Hastings portrait of Catherine Parr c. 1550
Portrait of Mrs. Charles Willing Robert Feke 1746
Paris apartment interior by Pierre Bergé
Architectural Digest 2015
Portrait by Eduard Mehome. Porto-Novo, Benin
Life & Afterlife in Benin, p 73
Portrait by J D Okhai. Lagos, Nigeria 1971
Africa Lace: A History of Trade, Creativity and Fashion in Nigeria, p 54
Calabar, Nigeria 1977
Yoruba men’s outfit, Nigeria c 1960’s. Personal collection
American Fabrics and Fashions Magazine (ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Textiles, Prentice Hall 1980
B Plankensteiner, N M Adediran, Africa Lace: A History of Trade, Creativity and Fashion in Nigeria, Snoeck 2010
A Van Gelder, Life & Afterlife in Benin, Phaidon 2005
R Murphy, ‘See How Pierre Bergé Transformed the Enchanting Top Floor of His Paris Apartment’, Architectural Digest, May 2015
A Peck (ed.), Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade 1500 – 1800, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013