...are either square or hexagonal in shape (Fig. I-5-12). The square board measures 7-9 cm on each side and 2-3 cm in thickness. [my note: These are very large cards! And I am thinking that they meant "2-3 mm" instead of cm in thickness.]
The tablets that I use are 3-1/2" square, or almost 9 cm. I think this size is fairly typical of what is used in the US today. But surely the thickness should be about 2 mm (or less)!
On each board there are holes, 2 mm in diameter,
That seems awfully small.
examination of their structure reveals that they were made on looms with square cards,
How could they tell the cards were square from the structure of the fabric?
with warp yarns arranged two in a group, one above and one below. These alternated in position as rows of filler yarn were intertwined into them. [my note: cards threaded with only two warp threads each?]
Appendix 1 in "The Techniques of Tablet Weaving" shows several techniques that use just two threads per tablet. The description of the weaving found in China sounds like 2-strand warp twining. I have woven a band in 2-strand warp-twining with floats, and there are photos and a description on my website (it's a technical reproduction of a band collected in Indonesia in 1996). But this required turning some tablets 2 turns, letting others idle, and occasionally turning some 4 turns. It sounds as if all the tablets were turned together in the same direction for 2 turns for each weft to make the fabric from China.
This type of loom is still seen in use in Xizang where it is employed extensively for making belts (Fig. I-5-14, A primitive loom still in use in Xizang [just showing some warped cards]).
Still in use as of 1992 when the book was published? So maybe still in use even today? How can we find out more??
Take care, Linda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda Hendrickson, Portland, Oregon USA Tablet Weaving & Ply-Splitting Workshops, Books, & Supplies E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web site: www.lindahendrickson.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
