1810s Aubergine silk scarf

1810s Aubergine silk scarf
Date	1810-1820
Category	Women
Item	Shawl
Fabric	Silk, woven pattern
Decoration	-
Wearer	-
Maker	-
Acc. no.	HC.S-9.92-1

1810-1820 Aubergine silk scarf.

The scarf spread out
Detail of the flower sprays on one end
Detail of the flower sprays on the other end
Detail of the lower part of the end pattern
Detail of the reverse of one end

Description

A long narrow shawl was called a scarf if it was at least three times as long as its width.

This scarf is in silk twill with a woven pattern at each end, 11½" deep. The design is of eight polychrome flower sprays, 7½" deep, with a row of scrolling foliage below, 1⅝" deep, and narrower leaves in green, ⅝" deep, below that. The sprays face in opposite directions each end, and some of the small flowers which are in red at one end, are in white at the other end. Maybe the weaver ran out of red silk.

The sides are the selvedges, ½" wide, which have red and cream stripes, and the ends have a ⅞" deep fringe of frayed warp threads, which is now fairly matted.

The scarf is 25" wide and 100" long, and it was probably woven in Spitalfields.