Description:
Single linen sheet composed of two selvage widths seamed down the center using a whip stitch that butts two edges of each selvage width together. This type of construction may be referred to in 18th-century written evidence as a pair of sheets. The sheet is hemmed 1/4" at both the top and bottom. The sheet is marked in brown silk embroidery floss (using cross stitch) "B * W/ 9". These initials and number may refer to the owner, and the number in their set of bed linens. Laundry in the 18th and early 19th century could be communal, and identifying marks such as these not only made returning these items to their owneers easier, but may have also served to help ensure rotation and even use of one's bed linens.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Embroidery; Linen; Silk Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.535.3 |
