Rasha (Wooden Cloth) - Rasha

Japanese: ラシャ(羅紗) - ラシャ

A type of woolen fabric. It is a general term for thick fabrics made of pure wool or a wool-cotton blend, which are processed and finished by fulling, raising, and shearing to make the weave invisible. Other types are made with worsted yarn, and include fabrics that are not raised but have visible weave. They are woven in plain, twill, and satin, and are often navy, black, scarlet, brown, tan, or marbled. The name comes from the Portuguese word raxa. In Europe, it is said to have been made to resemble fur, and was already being woven as a specialty in Raška, the old name of Serbia (now Yugoslavia), around the 14th century, and spread to European countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Hungary through merchants in Dubrovnik.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

紡毛織物の一種。地が厚く純毛製と毛綿混紡製があり，織目の見えないように縮絨（しゆくじゆう），起毛，剪毛（せんもう）の加工仕上げを行ったものの総称。ほかに梳毛糸（そもうし）を使ったものもあり，織目が見えて起毛を行わないものも含む。平織，綾織，繻子（しゆす）織で，色は紺，黒，緋，茶，褐色，霜降りが多い。名称はポルトガル語のラーシヤraxaに由来する。ヨーロッパでは毛皮に似せて作られたといわれ，14世紀ころすでにセルビア(現，ユーゴスラビア)の古称であるラシュカRaškaで特産品として織られており，ドゥブロブニクの商人を通じてイタリア，スペイン，ポルトガル，ドイツ，ハンガリーなどヨーロッパ諸国に広まった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Raja - rāja (English spelling)

>>: Rajput Paintings - Rajput Paintings