19th century fine coloured linen damask tablecloth with mythical creature borders
This is a quite rare example of a damask tablecloth from the 1860’s-1880’s - not many of them included a colourway. This one has a thick red border with blue and yellow details running round the entire length and both ends, with the centre field being a pattern of a cross between a flower and a shell. The most wonderful thing about this is that the thick red border contains the recurring motif of a gryphon all the way around.
This would have belonged to a wealthy household, both the quality and the motifs attest to that. The fabric is a linen-rich métis - the coloured borders provided by coloured cotton thread. The hems at either end are hand-stitched. It is in very good condition. There is a small visible repair which would certainly have been done by a maid in the household it originated from. There are several tiny moth-holes along the border, and a very faint storage mark that won’t come out (I have soaked and washed this piece, as always, and it has been dried in the sun). I have included photographs of these issues. This was intended to be starched and used at special dinners - I think it would make a fabulous Christmas tablecloth. It measures 164cm wide by 234cm long.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.
This is a quite rare example of a damask tablecloth from the 1860’s-1880’s - not many of them included a colourway. This one has a thick red border with blue and yellow details running round the entire length and both ends, with the centre field being a pattern of a cross between a flower and a shell. The most wonderful thing about this is that the thick red border contains the recurring motif of a gryphon all the way around.
This would have belonged to a wealthy household, both the quality and the motifs attest to that. The fabric is a linen-rich métis - the coloured borders provided by coloured cotton thread. The hems at either end are hand-stitched. It is in very good condition. There is a small visible repair which would certainly have been done by a maid in the household it originated from. There are several tiny moth-holes along the border, and a very faint storage mark that won’t come out (I have soaked and washed this piece, as always, and it has been dried in the sun). I have included photographs of these issues. This was intended to be starched and used at special dinners - I think it would make a fabulous Christmas tablecloth. It measures 164cm wide by 234cm long.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.
This is a quite rare example of a damask tablecloth from the 1860’s-1880’s - not many of them included a colourway. This one has a thick red border with blue and yellow details running round the entire length and both ends, with the centre field being a pattern of a cross between a flower and a shell. The most wonderful thing about this is that the thick red border contains the recurring motif of a gryphon all the way around.
This would have belonged to a wealthy household, both the quality and the motifs attest to that. The fabric is a linen-rich métis - the coloured borders provided by coloured cotton thread. The hems at either end are hand-stitched. It is in very good condition. There is a small visible repair which would certainly have been done by a maid in the household it originated from. There are several tiny moth-holes along the border, and a very faint storage mark that won’t come out (I have soaked and washed this piece, as always, and it has been dried in the sun). I have included photographs of these issues. This was intended to be starched and used at special dinners - I think it would make a fabulous Christmas tablecloth. It measures 164cm wide by 234cm long.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.