Rakematiz is a thick
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
fabric embroidered with strands of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
. It was extremely rare and valuable in earlier eras. Apparel that incorporated rakematiz was popular in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Some scholars have suggested the term ''rakematiz'' comes from the
Italian word ''ricamata'', which means embroidery.
[Stella Mary Newton, ''Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince: A Study of the Years 1340-1365'',
Boydell & Brewer: 1999, page 111, n. 38.]
References
Figured fabrics
Silk
Embroidery
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