This is a linen bed linen from my own collection which has been in my possession for a very long time, but little used. The reason being at the selvedge was a large tear and this no doubt was caused in the early 20th Century when the maids and house keepers from local houses would take their baskets of house linen to the local streams and kneel down on the flat large stones. They would wet the fabric and rub in "savon de Marseille" before literally "pounding"the sheets on the large stones at the stream with all the consequences of often tearing the fabric. My couturière Chantal recently has taken out the faulty piece and joined the 2 lengths together again with an English seam and please see the last photo. The joint is 90cm from the top and thus not visible when making the bed and well underneath. It is (almost) like a new bed linen again and also very white. The initials P.P. are beautifully embroidered in high relief and clearly visible in daylight. They are both holding a small posy of leaf and flower and have pea embroidery at the outlets of the letters. The richly decorated edgings have scalloped finish and just above is generous single thread work . A very balanced and beautiful bed linen.