Felt is the first textile known in the history of man kind - dating from 7,000 B.C.
Felt is a non-woven fabric. People learned to make felt before they could spin, weave or knit. Felt is for me a way of molding ancient history into modern works of art.
History of Felt
Wool felt is the earliest known form of textile fabric and played an important part in the life of early man. Throughout central Asia, where some of the oldest felts have been found, Turkman nomads made their tents, clothes and floor coverings from the material and it consequently became a significant part of many religious rituals. Brides were seated on white felt during marriage ceremonies and animals were sacrificed on it. It was also believed to have magical properties - Mongolian horsemen would hang felt figures inside their tents to bring good luck and to ward off evil spirits and a felt mattress would protect the sleeper from dangerous snakes and scorpions. Feltmaking was also illustrated as a technical process in Roman times in the mural paintings of the
Fuller's House in Pompeii.
Fuller's House in Pompeii.
Legendary origins of felt have been handed down in each feltmaking country but the true origin of felt is unknown. One amusing legend tells of St.Clement "Patron Saint of Hatters" who was being pursued by his enemies. As he ran his feet became increasingly hot and painful, but he managed to give his pursuers the slip and stopped to gather some sheep's wool which he saw entangled in the bushes. He wrapped the wool around his feet and placing his feet back into his sandals proceeded speedily on his way. When he finally arrived at his destination he removed his sandals and found that the wool had felted due to the heat and perspiration from his feet.
Archaeologists have unearthed fragments of felt dating back to the Bronze Age. The most exciting examples were discovered earlier this century when stone burial chambers in the Altai Mountains of Siberia were opened. These burial chambers were of chieftains of ancient nomadic tribes who populated this area between the 7th - 2nd centuries BC. The methods which had been used to construct the tombs and the severe climate of the High Altai had caused a layer of frozen ground to form under the large cairns which covered the graves. The Altai tombs have achieved world wide fame because, being completely frozen, they preserved items made of organic materials
which under normal conditions would have been destroyed by the passage of time, Amongst the finds were items of fur and leather, felt and textile, as well as wood carvings, all of which retained their original form and colour.
which under normal conditions would have been destroyed by the passage of time, Amongst the finds were items of fur and leather, felt and textile, as well as wood carvings, all of which retained their original form and colour.
The ancient inhabitants of the Altai produced fine leather which was used for appliqué work, they used several different stitches in decorative work and felt was made from both coarse and fine sheep's wool in different densities, qualities and thicknesses for items of everyday use but also for art. Their art was decorative, ornate and colourful - taking vegetable, animal and geometrical designs as their inspiration.
Some 30 different types of felt items were found - these included felt rugs, tomb covers, socks and cushions - most are heavily patterned. The largest piece measured 4.5 x 6.5 metres - this is now known as the Pazyryk felt and is housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
By Sheila Smith & Freda Walker
Dalefelt Publication 1995 update 2005
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