Among the most luxurious silk textiles produced in Europe, velvets are fabrics woven with an additional warp, which creates a plush pile surface. Patterns are made by leaving portions of the design free of pile (called voided velvet). Combining cut and uncut pile loops produces contrasts in both color and texture. This technique (called ciselé velvet) embellishes the design since cut pile appears darker than the uncut pile.

Velvets made in Italy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries displayed unusual colors and interesting textures. Decorated velvets were often used for garments and interior furnishings such as drapery and wall hangings. In these situations, velvet catchs light in various ways, revealing subtle gradations of color.

Source: Kathy Francis, "Velvets," in Eye of the Beholder, edited by Alan Chong et al. (Boston: ISGM and Beacon Press, 2003): 118.