basse- / haute-lisse (tapestry)

[TheChabon]

In a literal sense, the expression seems to mean [tapestries vowen in a] 'vertical loom'.

[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom#Haute_lisse_and_basse_lisse_looms ]

But I am finding the term used in (mostly 19th century) German as 'Hautelisse', so I infer there must be some specific design/quality/size/material/whatever peculiarity to the 'hautelisses' --there is some reason why these Germans picked that term and not merely 'tapestry'. Maybe for some reason at some point it became a generic term for tapestry?

I will be very grateful for any idea.

 

[TheChabon]

Found it.

When working on the 'haute lisse' from the back of the cloth, the weaver looks at his work on the other side using a mirror. When working on the 'basse lisse' he works on top of the cloth and he can't see what he is doing --he is merely mechanically reproducing some pattern or drawing. So the 'haute lisses' were more of artistic tapestries, and the 'basse lisses' were more production-type, industrial reproduction things.

http://books.google.com/books?id=uj...esnum=10&ved=0CC8Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false