This is an excellent bed linen in pure linen and dating back to approx 1870. We can date this bed linen as it has a seam in the centre. Weaving looms at the end of the 19th Century could maximum weave 1 meter with selvedges on either side as a finish. Once the fabric came off the loom, which was often hundreds of meters long, it would be cut to approx. 3 meter lengths and the selvedges would be joined by hand by the factory girls our home workers. What remains a mystery and as yet I have not been able to find out why the initials are always off centre and not on either side of the seam. One theory could be that if there was a initial on either side of the joint by the time they were stitched together there could be "puckering" even so the selvedges were sewn together by hand and not by machine and that would mean that both initials would not be at the same height. The initials are large at 8cm long and are magnificently embroidered in single red cross stitch. SO PLEASE BE AWARE that both initials C.H. are slightly off centre and on the left hand side of the linen. SEE LAST PHOTO.