Geez, you mean you guys can understand that jargon? I still don't think I said concisely what I meant to say, to wit, that it seems to me that "stretching" an expensive but strong and necessary material by adding a less expensive material which just happens to allow a contrasting surface appearance to be "developed" is a matter of economy of means directed at the primary end of utility (read desirable degree of hoop strength). Then the patterns would be incidental to the main achievement. I don't think the rug patterns appear in quite the same context of scarcity and technological limitation.
However, looking back at the calligraphy, I'm beginning to see in the 3-D shading the suggestions of ribbons of ink which could indeed be imagined as the spiraled irons of a damascus barrel. The sorrows of gin.
jack
