Questions about this textile - antique Victorian 'kirking" Paisley shawl

amandainvermont

amandainvermont

VFG Member
At first I thought this was one of those "hippie" bed spreads many of us had in the 60's. But it measures 10 feet by five feet. When I spread it out I could see the black in the center and it reminded me of those embroidered textiles (from India?) where you cut out the black area to make a neckline. I can't imagine this is hand woven, but it is certainly nice. Perhaps it could be used for fabric? There are a few holes here and there.

Anybody else have some insights as to country-era- or ???

I have shown both sides of the fabric, so that you can see the weave.

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Thanks for the photo. What I need to see is more of one of the ends, a photo that shows the depth of the border print and more of it, not just the very edge. And measure how deep the border is. Maybe get a shot of the complete border also if you can.
 
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Oh... I understand (I think). I thought you just wanted to see the threads. Hard to take "the whole border." @Rue_de_la_Paix The very outside border is quite shallow on the narrow end. These photos are the outside border at the five foot end. Not sure how to get a complete shot of the border.
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And here is a photo of the border along the 10 foot side. So six inches and four inches?
 

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The 3" deep border is what they call a Harlequin fringed border, although your border is a bit unusual as the main motifs extend into the Harlequin border which is not as common. Yes, prices are all over the map. Prices have fallen considerably over the past decade or so. I used to collect these avidly and still buy them, but have saved only a few for my own collections.

Its a long shot, but look really close to see if one of the corners has any stamps/marks or initials. It could be French, but I really think Scottish in origin.

They were popular for so many decades, practically 3/4 of the 19th century. The wearing of the bustle put an end to that.
 
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Yes, what an education this thread started. Thank you Barbara. There's a similar one for sale on eBay right now - with a bit more info!
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"This outstanding shawl jacquard paisley shawl was woven in Scotland in the mid 1800s. It features a black center and fine arabesque details in green, red, copper and black threads. The design shows the evolution of embroidered Persian shawls into a more European style.

Wool paisley “Kirking” shawls first became available when jacquard looms were developed in early 19th century. They were hugely popular in England and Scotland, and a bit later in the US. As crinoline skirts grew larger, so did the size of the shawls in order to cover them. This shawl is the largest size that was produced, a whopping 128" x 64”. By the 1870s when bustled skirts appeared, these shawls were no longer practical and production declined.

This piece dates to 1850-1870.

Why are they called Kirking shawls? It became the tradition for newly married women or new mothers to wear a paisley shawl when making their first public appearance by going to church. This led to the nickname "Kirking shawls" from the Scottish word for church."
 
amandainvermont said:
Wool paisley “Kirking” shawls first became available when jacquard looms were developed in early 19th century.
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I have not checked out that shawl on Ebay. However, the seller is not correct when they say the above quote. Kashmir shawls were already quite popular among the upper classes (who were the only ones who could afford them or had access to them in Europe) well before the 19th century had begun. In the late 1700s and very early 1800s there were not enough of them to go around due to the high demand and the intense work that went into making them, plus the fact that they were brought over on long ship excursions. The jacquard loom of course made the shawls more readily available in both numbers produced and a more affordable price point. The term "Kirking shawls" is a later, regional European term and is not what I, personally, would refer to them as, but I see that term used all over the place.

They were also hugely popular in France, I believe even before England and Scotland came to regard them, and some of the most beautiful shawls were made there.

The seller makes the claim that her shawl is the largest size ever made at a "whopping" 128", but that is also incorrect. I have seen them 12 feet long, not sure how much longer they got than that.
 
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I'd love to see how they were worn. I'm still wondering how the 10-12 feet part works out, even around a massive skirt.

I've seen a few that appear to be square, and then folded diagonally forming a triangle shawl, with the black centre being at the back of the neck, . That makes sense to me, but I'm struggling to see how this rectangle gets folded and worn.

Was it folded across the short length, and then worn as a square? a five to six feet square? given that women weren't so tall back then it's hard to imagine.

Does anyone have an image?
 
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