camaca
.
Searchable Lemmata: camaca (AF), camoca (L), camaca (ME), camaca (MdE).
Alternate Forms: camaka, camoca, camocas, camokas, camochaz, kameca, kameka, camica, camoca, camboca.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Textile;
rich fabric, most often silk, similar to or resembling damask; associated in particular with an Italian silk cloth popular in England in the fourteenth century. Cf. Mayo, J. (1984).
Lisa Monas suggest that the term applied to different types of silks at different times and places (as with many textile terms): she suggests it was used for lampas silks with a tabby ground in late 14th-century English texts, but was used for a satin-ground textile produced in Genoa from the early 15th century [Monnas, L. (1989), 286].
Italian camaca seems to have been a tabby/tabby lampas silk produced in either monochrome or polychrome (as with stripes), sometimes with figured foliage designs or with birds or animals. Patterns with vines were purchased by the English court in the early 14th century. Monnas has demonstrated that Italian camacas were produced in both 'light' and 'heavy' versions, the heavy often brocaded in gold and silver thread. The 'lighter' material seems to have been used for soft furnishings appearing in accounts of the early 14th century [Monnas, L. (1993)], and there are references to clerical vestments and secular garments of camaca from accross the 14th and 15th centuries.(ante 1310 - ante 1475)
3. [229] ... trestoutz les fernicules (l. fermailes?), anelx, diamondes, rubies ... [230] ... la piece d’arras la quele le duc de B. me donna ... deux les meliours pieces de draps d’arras que j’ay ... juxte chescun arbre un alant blak liez a mesme l’arbre ... mon graunt lit de camaca escheice blank et rouge ... mon meillour coler, ovecque touts les diamondes ... [231] ... les curtins del taffata blank batuz
Wills.
[AND Test Ebor (i 229-231) 1316/1491]
4. [45] ... quatorze draps d’or vertz et cynk draps d’argent ... pur coverlitz ... pur les litz meisme nostre fille, quatre pieces contenantes oyt draps de camaka doublés ... [46] ... qe a nostre trescher filz facez liverer deux cloches figurees de menevoire
Accounts.
[AND PRO E101/395/2 (45-46) circa 1370]
5. [abbas H. ob. 1326] dedit huic ecclesie quoddam integrum vestimentum, viz. capam, casulam cum tribus tunicis de nobili albo panno serico, qualem cammoka vulgo vocamus
Historic.
[DMLBS G.S. Alb. (II 124) circa 1390]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, Medieval Latin or Old French, ultimately from Arabic kamkha, from Persian.
Newton, S.M. (1980) suggests: 'Camoca is a corruption (very widespread in Europe) of the Iranian kamkhā, in modern India kincob, a cloth of gold. The term comes from the Chinese km = 'gold'. See Travels of Ibn Battuta, ed. Gibb, ii, p. 446' [p. 116, note 47].
WF:
Etym Cog: camocas (OF), kamoukas (OF), camucha (It).
