[MR] fustian history

[Betty Eyer]

I was looking at one of my favorite website during
lunch, planning an A&S project.  I noticed a reference
to fustian coming from Egypt and India.  We spoke
during the cotton conversation last week about fustian
and I remember it being described as of germanic
origin. I was pretty sure that this was an incomplete
assessment, but I was quiet because I couldn't lay my
hands on more info. So I did a look up of the word
fustian.  

Online websters gives me this:

\Fus"tian\, n. [OE. fustan, fustian, OF. fustaine, F.
futaine, It. fustagno, fr. LL. fustaneum, fustanum;
cf. Pr.
fustani, Sp. fustan. So called from Fust[=a]t, i. e.,
Cairo,
where it was made.]
1. A kind of coarse twilled cotton or cotton and linen
stuff,
   including corduroy, velveteen, etc.

There is more...but I clipped it.  Fustian is derived
from the word Fustat - the port of old Cairo.  Cotton
trade materials were produced for Europe out of egypt
throughout the period and dominated that trade until
1500 or so.  Trade Textiles from the far east went
through Fustat as well on their way to points west and
north.  The point of origin probably caused Europeans
to clump all of that group of textiles together as
from Fustat regardless of their actual place of
manufacture. 

Also of interest, this university of michigan page on 
trade textiles from far India and Java reaching the
port of Fustat by the late thirteenth century:
http://www.umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/Big_Textile/Riches_to_Rags.html

Conclusion: cotton indian-print bedspreads from the
hippie-dippie store are period for Mameluk egypt! 
Picture me rolling on the floor laughing!

There are some other very cool textile pages on that
same branch.  

Have fun, fiber geeks!

=====
Magdalena de Hazebrouck-Purpure, a fess fusilly argent between three torches or. 
"There are two types of music.  The Blues and Zippity Doo Dah." Townes Van Zandt

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