Say

Saai is the name for a type of woollen serge, produced widely in Britain and Ireland in the late Medieval and later periods. It was also produced, among others, in the Dutch city of Leiden, where it was one of thes even principal textiles industries.

The Lodewijkskerk in Leiden, drawn in ink by J. Timmermans around 1795. For many years in the 17th and 18th century the building acted as the centre for the say trade in Leiden.Say is a woollen, plain weave textile made from combed wool, but from the late 17th century produxed in Leiden with a slight twill weave. After weaving, the cloth was briefly fulled and then dyed. In Leiden, its production was combined with that of serge in the saai-nering (say-industry), which was centred at the Saai-hal, the current Lodewijkskerk.

Lit: Els de Baan, Goed Garen, 1994, pp. 66-67.

Last modified on Thursday, 24 March 2022 18:46
Published in Woven and interlocking materials
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