Baize

Baize

Description

A loosely woven Cotton or woolen fabric with a napped, felt-like surface. Baize was originally made in Baza, Spain (Tortora and Merkel 1996). It is made from wool, cotton, synthetic fibers, or Asbestos that is shrunk, then fluffed to the point that it is difficult to distinguish the weave. Baize is used for papermaking, conveyor belts, absorbent blankets, damping and roofing materials, box liners, and as a cover for the surfaces on game tables. It was also used in old homes to cover doors between a reception room and the kitchen area (Roland and Riley 1981).

See Felt.

Synonyms and Related Terms

bayeta (Esp.); bay; bayes; baeta; bayette; balleta; valleta; vayeta; woven felt; imitation felt

Hazards and Safety

Susceptible to moths.

Additional Information

P.Tortora, R.Merkel (eds.), Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Fairchild Publications, New York, 1996.

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

• Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving and Repairing Antiques, Constable and Co., Ltd., London, 1981

• Meredith Montague, contributed information, 1998