towel or napkin border, embroidered, 1800s, Turkish

Towel or Napkin border, cotton embroidered with silk in double darning, double running in a line and with metal thread in double darning and satin stitch.
One side has been cut, rolled and oversewn with buttonhole stitch.
There is a narrow border along the upper and lower ends which is not defined by lines: a series of pink or mauve flowerheads are linked by green leaves. Above this is a rather rigid arrangment of curving bands worked in metal thread which link to form a chain with a blue flowerhead and two pairs of pink buds at each intersection. Within each link is light or dark pink blossom, resembling a pine cone; these are tipped slightly, alternating up or down.

Given by Miss Baxter

At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours of 18th and 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but many have faded to pleasing pastel shades; often great quantities of metal thread were used. Napkins were mainly used to clean fingers during meals, but were also used as decoration and as covers. Their designs were consistently inventive.

T.256A-1912