Questions about a vintage piano shawl

denisebrain

denisebrain

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I believe I have read each post on the subject of piano shawls available here in the VFG forums, and Barbara (Rue_de_la_Paix) you certainly have taught me a lot on the subject! Taught me enough to be asking questions for sure...

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The color of this shawl is vibrant peach embroidered with cream. The embroidery is hand sewn. I can't burn a thread to test, and I feel torn between silk and rayon. To me it seems most like a silk broadcloth, with tiny bit of slubbing and a very subtle rib, but not a crepe texture. The inner square is 47.5" and the fringe is knotted for 4" with 13.5" of fringe beyond the knotted portion. I show the one hole in the shawl because I think it conveys the fabric best.

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Thank you Barbara, and anyone else, for your thoughts on the fabric (silk? rayon?) and the age!
 
Thank you Julie! In my experience pongee is a bit more slubby, and usually not dyed. It could be though!
 
No help here, sorry.... but it's lovely, gorgeous color!

I always enjoy these piano shawl threads, there is always something to learn about them.
 
The shawl is beautiful and the color is yummy! I am seeing late 1920's - 1930's. In the close-up I am seeing a plain weave - and can sort of see what you are calling a slub but could that be a pull in the close-up? I don't see a rib. The cream embroidery fiber looks like cotton to me but I don't know if that was ever used in these shawls. Sometimes silk has a lustre (and rayon can as well) but this piece does not seem to. I have a feeling that the fiber is rayon but that's just a guess. It's really stunning!

Linn
 
Yes, I'm inclined toward rayon from the threads' behavior around the hole (the things we see when we stare at fabric long enough!). It isn't as drapey as I would expect from silk, and I couldn't kick up a silky odor from steaming it.

Hard to show but the fabric has some luminosity, the tiniest of tiny ribs and tiny here-and-there slubs. These are all possible with rayon too. The color, I agree is very 20s-30s looking.

Thanks for all the great input!
 
That is lovely, and a great color. I know the type of fabric you mean, and it is much like a broadcloth in its look and feel. I agree it is likely to be rayon.

Even though I agree the color reminds me of 1920s, I get a sense that it is later than 1920s or 1930s. Most 1920s and 30s Chinese shawls made for export were silk and were larger in scale. I just a sense of later, but I am not 100% on this.
 
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