Hand-woven tablet-woven belt made of wool using the traditional technique of tablet weaving. The belt is approx. 2 cm wide and 250 cm long.
Tablet-woven bands were used as both practical and decorative elements of clothing. They served for edging and decorating garments, as belts, straps and ties, for securing various pieces of equipment, or for tying hair and leg wraps. Thanks to their strong structure, they were suitable wherever durability, flexibility and a decorative appearance were required.
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Material: wool
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Width: approx. 2 cm
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Length: 250 cm
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Technique: hand tablet weaving
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The listed price is for 250 cm
History of tablet weaving
Tablet weaving is a very ancient textile technique. Its principle was already known in antiquity, and archaeological finds document the use of tablet-woven bands during the Iron Age, Roman period, Migration Period, Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Such bands are particularly well documented in Northern and Central Europe.
Textiles are difficult to preserve in the archaeological record because organic fibres usually decompose quickly in the ground. Nevertheless, fragments of tablet-woven textiles have survived, for example in graves where they were in contact with metal objects, or in environments with exceptionally favourable conditions for the preservation of organic materials.
During the Viking Age, tablet-woven bands were a common part of textile production. They could be used as decorative borders on garments, as belts or for various fastening purposes. More elaborate bands could be multicoloured and feature complex geometric patterns.
How does tablet weaving work?
The technique takes its name from small tablets, usually square in shape with holes in their corners. Warp threads are passed through these holes. By turning the tablets forwards or backwards, the threads twist around one another and create a shed through which the weft thread is passed.
By changing the direction in which the tablets are turned, the order of the coloured threads and the way they are threaded, a wide variety of geometric patterns can be created – stripes, arrows, diamonds, zigzag lines and much more complex motifs.
The result is a characteristic strong and durable woven band that is considerably narrower than ordinary woven fabric. This combination of strength and the ability to create decorative patterns explains why the technique was used by many cultures for centuries.
Today, tablet weaving is widely used in historical reconstruction, reenactment, living history and the production of historical costumes. As each piece is handmade, slight variations may occur and are a natural feature of traditional textile craftsmanship.
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