Hessian is a woven fabric, that's usually made from the fibres of the jute plant. However, sisal fibres may also be used, or combined with other vegetable fibres to make rope, nets, and other similar products. In the USA and Canada hessian is called 'burlap'.
The Jute Plant
Hessian has always been a coarse fabric but today it's being produced as a more refined material to make bags, rugs and other products and is known simply as jute. Because it's an eco-friendly material, it's becoming more popular.
It's not know exactly where the word 'burlap' came from but it's thought it could mean 'coarse piece of cloth', or something similar. The name 'hessian' however, comes from the uniforms of German soldiers who came from Hesse and were known as 'Hessians'.
Jute Fibres Drying In The Sun
Hessian has many uses including bags and sacks, known as 'gunny bags, that were used to ship goods such as tea and coffee.
Hessian is also used to wrap the exposed roots when transplanting trees and shrubs and to prevent soil erosion on steep slopes.
Hessian is rarely used today to make clothes but it was used in the past, in Christian communities, where individuals wore a "sackcloth" on Ash Wednesday, as a kind of 'penitence'.
Bunnahabhain Whisky Box With Hessian Fabric Lining
Hessian has been used by many artists in the past as a stretched surface for painting and in the 1968 Georgie Fame song 'The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde', there is a line that reads '...while Bonnie loaded dollars into the burlap bag'.
Polmac (UK) Ltd uses hessian fabrics extensively to line their custom made, wood presentation boxes, promotional boxes and gift boxes, where a more traditional, rustic quality is desired.
The hessian fabric is applied flat on the base and sides of our wooden boxes, or on moulded inserts, to the shape of the product/ s to be accommodated.
The lids are also lined with hessian fabric, on a foam base, to provide additional protection for the wood boxes inside, against impact damage in transit.
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