# Panel of Wool Furnishing Damask

- By: England, Norwich or Spitalfields
- Date: 1740-80
- Medium: Wool
- Classification: Textile
- Dimensions: 278.1 × 65.4 cm (109 1/2 × 25 3/4 in.)
- Culture: England
- Credit line: Mary Ann Judy Endowment Fund
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/256787)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/c7d799c6-9e3d-649a-5713-944f7f6889c7/full/843,/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Damask is a weave structure in which the contrast of textures reveals the design woven into the fabric. Damask made of shiny silk is still used today for upholstery in formal interiors. Wool damask is less common today, but in the 18th century it was also used as an upholstery fabric for expensive furniture, particularly in England and America. The city of Norwich was an important center for wool weaving, and was known for the vivid colors that local dyers achieved, like the cherry red of this example.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0