Rare set of 4 linen tea towels with hand-embroidered E.B. initials. Rare indeed, as in over ten years of handling thousands of antique linens, I have never come across this particular type of tea towel before. At first glance, I believed they were blue napkins, yet their dimensions are entirely consistent with early 20th-century French tea towels. The towels remain dans leur jus, as the French would say — untouched, in original condition, and never used. This in itself is not unusual, as French households traditionally kept dozens of tea towels neatly stored in the pantry long before dishwashers existed. Many were eventually discarded after years of heavy wear and tear, making unused examples such as these increasingly difficult to find today. The soft blue colour is especially pleasing to the eye, while the chequered linen framed by solid blue borders gives them a wonderfully balanced and timeless appearance. Personally, I would use them for a summer outdoor brunch, where they would undoubtedly become an elegant and unusual talking point. The initials “E.B.” are beautifully hand embroidered. Please note: There are also 6 further matching napkins included in the same auction.