Where does Brocatelle come from?

Brocatelle comes from Italy, first documented in the 1600s.

Plate No. 149fabric

A figure standing in relief above a flattened ground.

First documented: 1600s
Origin: Italy and France, Italy
Fiber: silk, linen
Weave: figured compound weave with raised motifs
Family: motifs

Plate No. 149 · fabric

Brocatelle

Brocatelle is a heavy figured furnishing cloth, a close relative of brocade and damask, in which the woven motifs stand up in high relief against a tightly packed ground. A tightly bound binder warp pulls the ground flat so the satin or twill figure puffs above it, giving brocatelle its characteristic embossed, almost padded look, well suited to wall hangings, drapery, and upholstery in grand interiors. It sits between brocade and matelassé: figured like the first, raised like the second.

Illustration: a grand Italian palazzo salon, tall walls hung with heavy figured silk in deep colors catching gilded light, a draped window and carved chair, no people, late-afternoon glow — A grand Italian palazzo salon, tall walls hung with heavy figured silk in deep colors catching gilded light, a draped window and carved chair, no people, late-afternoon glow.

Named for

From the Italian broccatello, a diminutive of broccato, brocade; literally a little brocade.

Common questions

What is Brocatelle made of?: Brocatelle is a heavy figured furnishing cloth, a close relative of brocade and damask, in which the woven motifs stand up in high relief against a tightly packed ground. It is traditionally made of silk or linen.
Where does Brocatelle come from?: Brocatelle comes from Italy, first documented in the 1600s.
What is Brocatelle named after?: From the Italian broccatello, a diminutive of broccato, brocade; literally a little brocade.