Contribution to the Archaeological Study Group

Complex Weavers 2022

Sara von Tresckow

POLYCHROME
SAMITE
Working Backward Into Antiquity
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Polychrome Samites – Working backward into Antiquity

Samites are defined as a compound weft faced twill. In two colors, similar to taquete (compound weft faced plain
weave), is a fabric that uses the structure of plain weave or twill as a binding and a second, or main warp to guide
the weft threads on the face or the back side of the fabric. Weft threads are woven in alternating colors. While
taquete is reversible, samite based on a 2/1 twill is different on the back side of the fabric because an uneven twill
is by definition not reversible.

Polychrome versions of samite are possible and lovely. They are also not easy to design and weave. Here are two
typical roundels. Detailed information found in source material ( (Verhecken-Lammens, De Moor and Overlaet
2006)).

Above: Two examples of samite fabrics from the Middle East (7th -8th century) showing typical motifs with animals
in a “roundel”. On the left, the weaver used three colors, but only two at a time in bands. In the center, there are
three colors used simultaneously throughout. The third example, on the right is my reconstructed 4-color tram silk
roundel produced on my pattern shaft drawloom.

My introduction to the samitum fabric structure came, not with a manual loom as in antiquity, but on the TC-1
hand Jacquard loom with control over each warp end independently. The textile pictured below was woven in a
Jacquard class at Eastern Michigan University in Aug. 2007 under the tutelage of Pat Williams and Catherine
Amadei. The class explored polychrome samite or taquete on the TC-1.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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This is a 4 color samitum

representation of a William Morris
textile using my choice of color.

This piece is woven on a TC-1 loom

with 1320 threads of 20/2
unmercerized cotton, sett 18/cm,
72cm wide. Weft material is 20/1
linen doubled in four colors.

The loom was already set up with

alternating warps in a warm and a
cool taupe, so the image needed to
be reduced to a single repeat, tiled,
and rendered /tested to provide a
good aspect ratio.

Designing in multiple colors on the Jacquard loom involves determining all the possible combination of the chosen
structure – in this case a total of 14. From these possibilities, I chose 8 for the fabric.

There was an initial choice between polychrome taquete or

samitum – the color blanket shows the difference in the
structures – samitum on the top and taquete on the bottom:

The upper rows in samitum were much richer and more

pleasing – so that is where the project proceeded.

The structure is a 6-end samitum based on a 1 / 2

twill in a 1:1 ratio of main warp to binding warp.
And here is a detail of the structure showing the
color mixing in the actual piece.

For polychrome weaves, the structure profiles

contain a pick for each color for each step of the
weave. In this case a step of 4 colors over 6 warp
ends was one passe, and 3 steps of 4 colors (12
picks) formed one decoupure (smallest number of
ends and picks that form one pixel of the design.

With the Jacquard loom, the weaver literally paints

with structure, so the 8 chosen colors were painted
into the single pattern repeat shown at left. This
made designing with color mixing rather easy as
some of the 8 colors had 2 or three of the colors
mixed on the surface.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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Designing for a shaft loom or even a drawloom would complicate the detailed nature of
the polychrome effect.

As with any tied weave, there is also an issue with differential takeup – the main warp
does not intersect with the weft so while this piece is lovely, the 34 x 27-inch fabric is all
that could be produced on the loom that day and we had significant warp breakage.
Over the years, I have attempted to reproduce the cloth, but ran into technical
difficulties at every turn. A warp at the correct density, alternating on two beams was
not easily found. There is one TC-2 available for rental by the month in Iceland with the
correct number of heddles at 30 epi, suitable for a woolen fabric, but sampling would be quite difficult, let alone
leaving my home and husband for weeks at the end of the world.

A Possibility Opens
When I began doing samples and experimentation with tied weaves on the drawloom for a presentation to be given
Summer 2020 at Complex Weavers Seminars, taquete and samitum were among the structures considered for
inclusion. Fascinated by the results of this polychrome samite I had woven years ago, I became interested in the
Sassanian samites – sometimes 2-color, sometimes polychrome, woven on some type of draw device in the 7th to
10th centuries in the middle East.

Over the last 2 years, I have systematically worked from the TC-1 technologically backward to create a 4-color
polychrome samite on my pattern shaft drawloom.

Since the samite can be woven on Jacquard loom, dobby loom or some type of draw or “double harness” loom, The
planned study began with the dobby loom, recreating as closely as possible the structure, material and density of
the Morris samite from the TC-1.

Samite is an old fabric from the Middle East – 9th and 10th century Persia. It is a very difficult fabric to produce
requiring fine silk threads and much time and patience to set up and weave the fabric.

Since the older fabrics from the Middle East are generally “roundels” containing a heraldic animal or two plus
decorative elements, I designed a roundel containing a single sheep and decorative elements that can be woven on
a 16-shaft dobby loom using 13 threaded blocks plus
the 3 ground shafts needed for the twill foundation.
On the pattern shaft drawloom, 13 pattern shafts will
be used to duplicate the design. This design will serve
for all woven samples so the comparison of texture,
drape and hand have the same base.

Basic profile design for samite samples. Works for 16-

shaft dobby as well as pattern shaft drawloom.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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Below are shown the three liftplans for the two-, three- or four-color versions of the same design.

2 Color Draft – Dobby Liftplan for 16 shafts. Each decoupure (smallest element of design or pixel) consists of 6 warp
ends and 6 picks – ratio 1:1)

Note, 3 colors are used by alternating stripes of two pattern weft colors.

Sheeproundel2
– 2 color

3 Color Draft – Dobby Liftplan for 16 shafts. Each decoupure consists of 6 warp ends and 9 picks – ratio 1:1)

Sheeproundel2

3-color

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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4-Color Draft – Dobby Liftplan for 16 shafts. Each decoupure consists of 6 warp ends and 12 picks – ratio 1:1).

Sheeproundel2 -
4color

Warp 1
To begin this journey, I used 20/2 cotton as in the original fabric (this time mercerized) sett at 18 ends/cm as
before. Weft used was 20/2 mercerized cotton doubled, 20/1 linen doubled, or silk. Each weft material produced a
different look and hand for the fabric. Historical material refers to the number of “warp units” per cm. A warp unit
is the group of main and binding thread contained in one pixel of the design. In this case, with a ratio of 1:1, a warp
unit contains 2threads (one main and one binding) for a measure of 9 warp units per cm. This is considerably
coarser than the historical fabrics that vary from 12 to 20 warp units per cm.

Cotton Weft

2 Color 3-Color 4-Color

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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Here are the same three roundels, woven with a linen weft

Linen Weft

2-olor 3-Color 4-Color

Lastly, I used a silk weft on the cotton warp

Silk Weft singles

2-Color 3-Color 4-Color

This warp, as close to the original used on the TC-1 produced similar fabric. The cotton weft produced intense
colors and a well-defined twill line. The hand was rather stiff.

The linen weft produced less intense colors and a less well-defined twill line. The hand of the fabric was a bit more
supple.

The silk weft produced a good coloration and softer hand, but still with definite twill lines.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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WARP 2 – 60/2 silk, ratio 2:1 weft plies and singles

Here I used a 60/2 spun bombyx silk – white. This yarn was considerably finer than the 20/2 cotton so I used a ratio
of 2:1. There were 2 of the 60/2 silk warps for every binding warp. The examples in the Koestner paper (Koestner
2020) indicated that the multiple main warp ends showed no crimp from interlacing and appeared to have been in
a single heddle together, so I placed 2 warp ends in each main heddle. This puts 3 warp ends into a “warp unit” so
the sett here is 10 warp units per cm, with the thread count 30 ends/cm.

Silk warp and weft plied 30/2

Silk warp and weft - singles

Continuing with silk warp and weft, coupled with an extra warp end between the binding ends produced a
smoother fabric with strong colors. The hand was much more supple than with the cotton warp. The singles weft
yarns gave a subtler twill line and softer hand. Using plied weft stiffens the fabric.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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Samitum on the Drawloom

Again, only the tie down warp is treadled. This 3-end twill requires 3 passes of two picks (6 picks) to complete the
decoupure. This, as with taquete, will require heavy lifting on a modern drawloom. The most efficient setup would
be for a set of pattern saving lashes with an A and B cord for each pattern row. Then each set of cords would be
pulled three times for the decoupure.

This is the draft for a 2-color samite that is woven at the end
of a lampas warp using a 3-end twill for both ground and
secondary warp. The draft shows that whether the long eye
heddles are threaded or not does not make any difference in
the construction of the fabric.
Here is a simulation of the resulting fabric.
Historically, samite was woven with designs
in roundels that were often polychrome,
that is in more than 2 colors. The easiest
way to add a third color would be to follow
this draft and place weft color band
sections that coordinate with the pattern and add color
interest to the design.
The more difficult version of this is the 3-color polychrome
samite, detailed on the next few pages. The pattern was developed as just 2 colors, and then the liftplan altered to
show a third color in a few areas.
Polychrome Samite
Here is the draft for a 3-color roundel in samite. A pass is 3 picks, a decoupure is 3 passes. For each graphed pattern
row, 9 picks are needed. To correct the aspect ratio, 2 graphed pattern rows are woven. This makes 18 picks per
pattern row.

Note that the color sequence is

arranged so that when weaving
background areas, the background
color is woven with no cords or
pulls and the colors not to appear
on the surface are placed together
so that they can both be woven
with the opposite – all cords pulled.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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The next diagram is the one used to actually execute this fabric. There is only one “row” shown for each pattern
row(decoupure). It is understood that when weaving, each of these “rows” should be executed at least three times
– once for treadle one, once for treadle two and once for treadle three. In the case of the sample presented here,
each “row” needed to have this sequence
executed twice (2 decoupures) to make the aspect
ratio appear more squared.

It proved easier to follow in this format, showing

the alternation of pattern rows and colors than
trying to follow each pick in the file. The expanded
detail on the next page shows a detailed view of
the liftplan for a 3-color rendition of the roundel
design.

Expanded detail for 3 color polychrome samite.

Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow

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WARP 3 – tram silk ratio 2:1

Tram silk single warp and weft

2-color 3-color 4-color (4 colors used only where

needed)
My sources for the ancient samite fabrics listed “tram silk” as the thread used. Tram silk is the fine thread reeled
from cocoons and skeined carefully onto reels. I had some very fine Italian reeled silk (somewhat lightly spun as
well) in white to use as warp. Recently Lunatic Fringe began carrying a limited color choice of tram silk. It is slightly
heavier than my Italian silk, so used the Italian thread doubled to wind the warp. I also used a 2:1 ratio (2 doubled
warp ends in a heddle for the pattern and 1 doubled end for the binding end. Again, there are 24 warp ends/cm
and with 3 threads per warp unit or 8 units per cm.

What a difference. The rather stiff, ribbed twill fabrics produced earlier on the TC-1 and dobby looms gave way to a
supple, smooth, shiny, slippery fabric that began to resemble the photographs in scholarly articles. The average
density of 12-20 warp units/cm puts my samples at about double the thickness of the ancient fabrics. I did try a
short sample with an all over pattern on the end of the warp. The results were so nice, I intend to continue
experimenting – next time, the Italian silk warped singly and paired with some extremely fine tram silk purchased
from Maren Beck at Above the Fray. The initial designs are in planning.

Commercial samite, 100% silk Front Back

Contemporary Mill Woven Samite – 100% silk. Source https://www.sartorbohemia.com/samite-with-byzantine-

medallions-midnight-blue_z8778/
Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow
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Observations and Conclusions

Samite is a lovely fabric. Now that I have seen and made several samples, it is a fabric that shows pattern and drape
in a way that is unique. I can see why it was revered as the most expensive fabric of its time. I can also see why
samite fabrics morphed int proto-lampas, pseudo-lampas, pseudo-damask (The Weaving Library n.d.) The difficulty
setting up this fabric and the extremely slow nature of the weaving shows why samites are seldom woven today.

The evolution of woven goods proceeded toward patterned fabrics that involved much less heavy lifting of pattern
pulls

Planning samite fabric entails far more than simply seeking a nice warp and weft. Singles seem to pack better than
plies. The weft yarn seems to want to be just a bit heavier than the warp, but not double. Doubling the pattern
rows elongates the roundel more than adding another color or two. On a drawloom, the pattern threads do not
need to pass through long eyes on a ground shaft. Tension difference between pattern and binding warps shows
after short while.

A 1:1 setup is, tedious unless tying on from a prior setup. Three color work is time consuming and probably best
only in selected areas.

Samitum is a smoother version of taquete – provides contrasting color effects with a very nice surface.
Samite is not easy to weave on the drawloom because of the requirement that each pattern row must be executed
first as a positive and then as a negative. Even if done with pattern lashes, 2 lashes per pattern row are still needed.
For 3 color patterning, 9 picks are needed for a decoupure, for 4-color patterning 12. This slows the process
considerably. This explains why color changes sometimes occur as stripes in a 2-color sequence.
4 color required intense concentration and finding 4 colors with good contrast was difficult

The aspect ratio of taquete and samite are controlled somewhat by the ratio of the warp threads. I found that a 2:1
ratio worked well with 3 color fabrics. 1:1 is better for 2 color work, but that is very tedious to set up. It is clear
from the samples, that the height of the roundel differs with the relationship of the number of colors and the
number of warp ends between the binding threads.
Also, using an extra color for polychrome effects is easiest when done in carefully planned stripes in the piece
rather than alternating 3 or 4 colors. The idea to use 4 colors only where they are used came from (Verhecken-
Lammens, De Moor and Overlaet 2006).
Books always refer to samite as an early drawloom weave. The period where it was popular was from 1st to 11th
century. We do not know what type of “drawloom” might have been used. It is clear that the “pattern harness” of
today’s drawlooms, with the shafts of long eye heddles was not needed, though it could have been present. The
minimum requirement would have been for 3 ground shafts and some way to pull selected threads by means of
lashes. There may have been some type of loom we are not aware of specifically designed to make the
manufacture of this luxury fabric more feasible.
Taquete and Samitum were probably the first two tied weaves historically. Lampas came later.
Historically there were a few interim fabrics on the way to the next class of tied weaves. It seems that they were
steps to move from the stricture of only plain weave or only twill in a compound fabric. Proto-lampas and Pseudo
Lampas are two of those that incorporate more complexity in the cloth.
The terms proto-lampas and pseudo-lampas are discussed in John Becker’s “Pattern and Loom” and in following
sources:
Sources that discuss these developments include:
John Becker, “Pattern and Loom”, pp. 133-168
Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow
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From the Medieval Textile Study Group (Complex Weavers)

https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/webdocs/mnm_mt31.pdf

http://www.medievaltextiles.org/gallery/gallery.html

http://www.weavinglibrary.org/2012/11/taquete-samit-and-lampas-proto-lampas.html

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Becker, John. 1987. Pattern and Loom. Copenhagen: Rhodos.

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Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow
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Polychrome Samite Sara von Tresckow