Did you know that the history of wool as a household textile dates back to 4000 BC?
Woolly sheep were introduced from the Near East to Europe at the beginning of the 4th millennium B.C., although the oldest surviving woollen cloth dates from 1500 B.C. in Denmark.
Since then, wool, together with linen and silk, have been the textile fibres that have clothed homes (depending on their economic capacity) and the people who lived there.
Do you want to know how wool was used to heat everything from grand palaces to country houses? Continue reading…
A hundred years ago, houses used to resonate with the seasons through the use of fabrics, such as linen, wool or jacquard, which helped to cool the house on hot days or protect it from the winter cold. Curiously, portieres (door curtains), wall backings, room dividers or corridors were just as much at home in palaces and stately homes as in country houses. Perhaps we should bring back these old ways of heating or cooling interiors with fabrics?
Tapestries
Tapestries are large canvases that imitate paintings and are hung on walls for at least two reasons. The first is their decorative value: tapestries may depict specific scenes or landscapes. Many rulers decided to found tapestry factories in their courts. They not only adorned the rooms, but also served to give warmth to the space. Tapestries covering large wall surfaces prevent heat from escaping. Wool has been one of the most commonly used materials for its production.
Bed canopy
Anyone who was fascinated by the world of princesses and princes as a child probably dreamt of a canopy bed. But bed canopies are also useful in real life. If they were made of a thick fabric such as wool, they protected from the cold in winter. In summer, the canopies made of tulle allowed you to sleep peacefully, without being bothered by flies or mosquitoes. The canopy provided privacy and silence, separating the person from their surroundings in the absence of a separate bedroom.
In some large palace rooms, a large canopy (like a tent) was placed in the centre to reduce the whole room to a smaller, draught-free space with lower ceilings, so that the room would heat up more quickly.
Portiere
You can still find these thick, heavy and usually dark curtains hanging next to the entrances of some public buildings or cafés. The portieres acted as an additional protection against the cold; they protected the room from the cold air that entered whenever someone opened the door.
They used to be very popular and present in ordinary houses. Thick woollen curtains provided the best insulation against the cold.
Why wool?
Wool fabric is a powerful insulator. Humans have recognised the insulating capabilities of sheep’s wool for more than 10,000 years. The cellular and chemical structure of the individual wool fibres makes this magic possible. As wool fibres have natural creases and folds, they trap air to keep the body warm.
One of the main reasons why wool keeps you warm is that it does not draw heat away from the body. In other words, wool is a poor conductor of heat. This may sound strange, but it is actually a good thing.
Conduction is the main way in which heat is transferred from one material to another, and it is something you witness every day: like a frying pan conducting heat from a cooker. Due to the physical properties of wool, it does not absorb the heat that your body works so hard to produce when it is cold outside. So you keep warm instead of your clothes. Wool is so prized for its ability to trap heat that it is even used in homes and buildings as a sustainable and recyclable insulator.
Sheep have made it possible for civilisations to advance beyond the tropics thanks to their adaptability and agility. Sheep provide us with meat, milk and protection from the cold, and they are as adaptable as the fibre they create. They can live in places where other livestock cannot live due to lack of vegetation and water. They have long satisfied, and continue to satisfy our dietary and fibre needs.
This is how the history of wool as a textile fibre in the home can serve as inspiration to keep our homes warm thanks to the benefits of this wonderful fibre.
Yarns of warmth; history of wool as a household textile
Did you know that the history of wool as a household textile dates back to 4000 BC?
Woolly sheep were introduced from the Near East to Europe at the beginning of the 4th millennium B.C., although the oldest surviving woollen cloth dates from 1500 B.C. in Denmark.
Since then, wool, together with linen and silk, have been the textile fibres that have clothed homes (depending on their economic capacity) and the people who lived there.
Do you want to know how wool was used to heat everything from grand palaces to country houses? Continue reading…
A hundred years ago, houses used to resonate with the seasons through the use of fabrics, such as linen, wool or jacquard, which helped to cool the house on hot days or protect it from the winter cold. Curiously, portieres (door curtains), wall backings, room dividers or corridors were just as much at home in palaces and stately homes as in country houses. Perhaps we should bring back these old ways of heating or cooling interiors with fabrics?
Tapestries
Tapestries are large canvases that imitate paintings and are hung on walls for at least two reasons. The first is their decorative value: tapestries may depict specific scenes or landscapes. Many rulers decided to found tapestry factories in their courts. They not only adorned the rooms, but also served to give warmth to the space. Tapestries covering large wall surfaces prevent heat from escaping. Wool has been one of the most commonly used materials for its production.
Bed canopy
Anyone who was fascinated by the world of princesses and princes as a child probably dreamt of a canopy bed. But bed canopies are also useful in real life. If they were made of a thick fabric such as wool, they protected from the cold in winter. In summer, the canopies made of tulle allowed you to sleep peacefully, without being bothered by flies or mosquitoes. The canopy provided privacy and silence, separating the person from their surroundings in the absence of a separate bedroom.
In some large palace rooms, a large canopy (like a tent) was placed in the centre to reduce the whole room to a smaller, draught-free space with lower ceilings, so that the room would heat up more quickly.
Portiere
You can still find these thick, heavy and usually dark curtains hanging next to the entrances of some public buildings or cafés. The portieres acted as an additional protection against the cold; they protected the room from the cold air that entered whenever someone opened the door.
They used to be very popular and present in ordinary houses. Thick woollen curtains provided the best insulation against the cold.
Why wool?
Wool fabric is a powerful insulator. Humans have recognised the insulating capabilities of sheep’s wool for more than 10,000 years. The cellular and chemical structure of the individual wool fibres makes this magic possible. As wool fibres have natural creases and folds, they trap air to keep the body warm.
One of the main reasons why wool keeps you warm is that it does not draw heat away from the body. In other words, wool is a poor conductor of heat. This may sound strange, but it is actually a good thing.
Pirilana wool duvet
Conduction is the main way in which heat is transferred from one material to another, and it is something you witness every day: like a frying pan conducting heat from a cooker. Due to the physical properties of wool, it does not absorb the heat that your body works so hard to produce when it is cold outside. So you keep warm instead of your clothes. Wool is so prized for its ability to trap heat that it is even used in homes and buildings as a sustainable and recyclable insulator.
Sheep have made it possible for civilisations to advance beyond the tropics thanks to their adaptability and agility. Sheep provide us with meat, milk and protection from the cold, and they are as adaptable as the fibre they create. They can live in places where other livestock cannot live due to lack of vegetation and water. They have long satisfied, and continue to satisfy our dietary and fibre needs.
This is how the history of wool as a textile fibre in the home can serve as inspiration to keep our homes warm thanks to the benefits of this wonderful fibre.