Description:
Textiles lent an element of refinement to 18th-century New England parlors, where tea and other forms of dining and entertainment took place. Bleached, finely woven linen was the preferred choice for a family's best napery, or textiles for the table. Besides appearing as pristinely clean and even shiny, absorbant linen was also a practical choice for the function of napkins to aid in wiping stray food crumbs or beverage spills, and protecting the clothing worn by those with a seat at the table. Frequently, 18th-century household linens were embroidered or marked with the owner's initial(s) and sometimes numbered. This kind of embroidery helped identify ownership and also mayhave aided in rotating sets of linen for even use. This particular example is a plain weave linen napkin embroidered in black silk cross stitch with the letter "L".
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.921 |
