Linen damask napery, Henry VIII and the Northern Renaissance

Dr David Mitchell

During the fifteenth century, the drawloom, which had been used for centuries in the East to weave silk damasks, was modified in the Low Countries to produce linen damasks. Early in the sixteenth century, a number of intricate designs were made in either Mechelen or Kortrijk for elite customers, including Henry VIII. Several of these pieces have features that are early examples of the Northern Renaissance.

Haughton International Ceramics Seminar 2017 at Christie's