This large linen damask napkin was cut from a long length of fabric patterned with hunting scenes. Made up napkins could be purchased from linen dealers, but it was considerably cheaper to buy lengths of linen and hem the cut edges at home. Table linen was one of the ways in which households could display their wealth to visitors, and the generous proportions of this napkin probably reflect this as much as a desire to protect clothing. Linen, however, could be laundered whereas the silks and fine woollen textiles of which best clothing were made were difficult to clean.

The design of the damask shows the influence of Asian ceramics and lacquer which began to arrive in Europe in quantity for the first time in the late seventeenth century. This is particularly visible in the hills on which the towns are perched and the bridges which cross the river on which a man is canoeing.