Assiut/Assuit in Motion – Liquid Silver

Apparently, I’m obsessed with assiut/assuit cloth.  Which is probably good, since I’m working on a book about this magical fabric.  However, several folks have sent me email queries along the lines of:

Hey Dawn, I’ve heard assiut/assuit referred to as “liquid silver” but when I
see assiut/assuit it looks quite stiff, can you explain?

Modern assiut/assuit can be quite stiff, and the patterns are often widely spaced upon the mesh ground cloth.  The modern fabric is made almost exclusively from short-staple cotton on modern machines which create smaller holes.  The stitches are fewer and further apart, giving this cloth a primarily black appearance.

In contrast, vintage assiut/assuit has a higher metal content and was made with finer linen fibers in a more open, looser mesh.  This allows the fabric to drape and move in a more supple way.  When this fabric is completely coated with individual metal stitches, it drapes heavily, conforming to the shape of the body beneath it, but maintaining the sheen and luster of metal.  The weight of the pounded metal in the cloth, gives the fabric a unique character during movement, that is better shown then described.  So below, I’ve assembled three videos, one modern and two that date to the 50’s, that show the unique movement and drape of heavily embroidered vintage assiut/assuit.