Rattoppato means patched, and the velvet is drawn to look exactly that: mended from pieces, the joins deliberate. Gio Ponti designed it and Rubelli hand-wove the original in 1934 for the Biennale of decorative art. It is still woven now.
The pile is viscose on a cotton and viscose ground, and at 800 g it is one of the heavier cloths you will handle. The patchwork is worked into the weave rather than printed on, so it reads as changes in the direction and depth of pile. A 14.5 by 17 cm repeat keeps it busy at close range and quiet from across a room. Rated for light use, so cushions, panels and chair backs. 135 cm wide, woven in India.
