THE DRAW LOOM

of the Medieval European loom, having the warp threads stretchedhorizontally.

Fig. 2.—Early Egyptian Loom.

(Pm i. ■■ i},

fiWfiw*

iiimiiiirii

The draw loom was the earliesttype for elaborate figured weavings,and it is still in use in China. Thedraw-boy stands upon the top of theloom to draw up the warp threads asrequired.

The draw loom was in usein Europe until 1604, when M.Simplot, a Frenchman, introduced

Fig. 3.—Early Egyptian Loom.

njtiniip-’

a series of cords called simples, so that a boy could workat the side of the loom (plate 4).

In 1687 Masoninvented a draw-boy loom, by“ which the weavermay perform thewhole worke ofweavingsuch stuffe,as the greatestweaving trade inNorwich doth nowdepend upon with-out the aid of adraught.” The re-markable invention

Fig. 4.—Early English Loom.

of perforated paper or cards for facilitating the weaving of figuredfabrics was introduced by Bouchon (i 7 2 5 )> an< ^ was continued by

13