Huge antique roll of handwoven pure linen - German - 19th century #7 - textured

€370.00

This roll was purchased five years ago, at a time when I had a connection with a seller in Germany who was buying up a lot of these pieces. They are practically impossible to find now. They were spun and woven on narrow looms to make household linen out of, and they frequently made up part of a country-woman’s dowry chest. This one has been woven with a thicker, more loosely-spun thread dropped in at regular intervals to form a chequer-board pattern (please if you are a weaver and know the correct name, send me a message) - and the textile is itself silver and shiny and soft - German antique linen is often far softer and more loosely spun than French.

This has been well-stored, probably in a wooden chest, but the interaction of oxygen with the natural oils in all natural fibres has caused the visible marking/foxing over the fabric. In my experience, this will come out with a good long soak, but I wouldn’t try to treat the whole roll at once. One end of about 60cm long, the end that has been exposed to the light, is very affected, but the rest of the roll is much better. This fabric also takes up natural dyes, specifically natural indigo, absolutely beautifully.

This roll measures 46cm wide by 16.56 metres long

Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.

To purchase, please contact me.

Add To Cart

This roll was purchased five years ago, at a time when I had a connection with a seller in Germany who was buying up a lot of these pieces. They are practically impossible to find now. They were spun and woven on narrow looms to make household linen out of, and they frequently made up part of a country-woman’s dowry chest. This one has been woven with a thicker, more loosely-spun thread dropped in at regular intervals to form a chequer-board pattern (please if you are a weaver and know the correct name, send me a message) - and the textile is itself silver and shiny and soft - German antique linen is often far softer and more loosely spun than French.

This has been well-stored, probably in a wooden chest, but the interaction of oxygen with the natural oils in all natural fibres has caused the visible marking/foxing over the fabric. In my experience, this will come out with a good long soak, but I wouldn’t try to treat the whole roll at once. One end of about 60cm long, the end that has been exposed to the light, is very affected, but the rest of the roll is much better. This fabric also takes up natural dyes, specifically natural indigo, absolutely beautifully.

This roll measures 46cm wide by 16.56 metres long

Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.

To purchase, please contact me.

This roll was purchased five years ago, at a time when I had a connection with a seller in Germany who was buying up a lot of these pieces. They are practically impossible to find now. They were spun and woven on narrow looms to make household linen out of, and they frequently made up part of a country-woman’s dowry chest. This one has been woven with a thicker, more loosely-spun thread dropped in at regular intervals to form a chequer-board pattern (please if you are a weaver and know the correct name, send me a message) - and the textile is itself silver and shiny and soft - German antique linen is often far softer and more loosely spun than French.

This has been well-stored, probably in a wooden chest, but the interaction of oxygen with the natural oils in all natural fibres has caused the visible marking/foxing over the fabric. In my experience, this will come out with a good long soak, but I wouldn’t try to treat the whole roll at once. One end of about 60cm long, the end that has been exposed to the light, is very affected, but the rest of the roll is much better. This fabric also takes up natural dyes, specifically natural indigo, absolutely beautifully.

This roll measures 46cm wide by 16.56 metres long

Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.

To purchase, please contact me.