6 Early XXth Century damask linen napkins with J.S. initials - Napkin - 68 cm - 78 cm

6 Early XXth Century damask linen napkins with J.S. initials. - Napkin - 68 cm - 78 cm


Dealing with the daily arrival of beautiful French antique bed and table linen requires a calm and discerning eye. Each piece must be assessed on its own merits: beauty, dimensions, condition, quality, and, above all, the excellence of its damask weaving. This is not always an easy task.

Before a piece can be offered for sale, it must be carefully grouped, washed, starched, ironed, styled, photographed, and honestly described. Most importantly, one must remain objective, even when encountering something truly exceptional.

I am afraid that this set of 6 napkins falls firmly into that exceptional category.

As far as we can determine, this complete set has rarely emerged from the marriage armoire in which it was lovingly preserved. Indeed, I find myself at a slight loss when attempting to describe its magnificence.

Once again, we were fortunate enough to acquire this set from the château near me. Even the owners were taken aback by its extraordinary beauty, and understandably found it difficult to part with pieces they had cared for over so many years.

The initials J.S. are superbly embroidered in fine, raised relief. The choreography of the letters is truly unique, and I cannot recall having seen initials of such quality before. Each letter is adorned with a delicate flowering twig, complete with leaves and blossoms.

Through the inventory ledger which is the book where every purchase was registered we have been able to locate the owners of these napkins which are Jean Baptiste Alphonse and his wife Simone - Paulette.
Simone was the sister of the owner’s paternal grandfather The book goes back to 1753, the date the chateau was built.
The napkins are framed with the classical Greek Key design. What I have never encountered before is the remarkable decoration within this border: alternating horizontal matt and lustrous bands extending across the entire napkin. The darker bands are embellished with a continuous garland of tiny swirl motifs, creating a wonderfully rich and sophisticated effect. Please refer to the last three photographs for close-up details.

The quality of the linen itself is outstanding.