Purchased from a French woman, this is likely an antique cloth from the mid to late 1800s, either British or French, including a square doily, linen handkerchief, and mat. This is a white work piece of cool and delicate charm, created by pulling threads from a fabric of exquisite, very fine yarn, and bundling them to create floral motifs. The fabric is made of high-quality linen that is extremely smooth and supple. It features precise and cool drawn thread work, where extremely fine threads intersect and weave together. There is also detailed circular and linear needlework. Needlework lace with thread embroidery, created by bundling threads pulled from the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the fabric. It has a simple beauty with a deep flavor. It exudes a dignified presence, with beautiful thread patterns that stand out even from a distance. It has a well-defined, lacy pattern and a three-dimensional, uneven texture. The antique white color has a slightly grayish stone-like tone, resembling plaster or ecru. The (Irish) linen fabric is extremely smooth, with firmness and luster, and is soft and thin. It has a pleasant, moist feel. When held up to a window, the openwork patterns created by the hand-embroidered threads and the vivid splendor become clear. Please forgive the following errors due to the handmade nature of the item and the measurements taken by an amateur: 31cm x 30.5cm Central fabric area: 16.7cm x 16.2cm Approximately 10g There are no noticeable stains, but there are traces of repairs to the frayed edges, as well as fraying of the fabric (5mm x 5.5mm) and four small holes the size of a needlepoint tip repaired underneath, all clustered together. (1.2cm x 1.1cm in total) Although it is hardly noticeable, please also forgive any other minor imperfections that are difficult to notice. Personally, I feel it is in good condition considering the years it has been through. This is a drawn thread work (ladder embroidery) technique, also called saba lace, where threads are pulled from the linen fabric and flower patterns, cross patterns, etc., are created by knotting and other methods. It is also said to be a type of Spanish Teneriffe lace, and it also brings to mind the Schwalm, Hedebo, and Hardanger embroidery of Northern Europe. It can be used to decorate small objects, dolls, or vases, or placed in a cabinet or on a jewelry tray. Search: Scotland, Britain, Wales, European linen, Belgian, white thread embroidery, handwork, cloth & cross Other items are also on sale below: British antique drawn thread work, saba lace, fringe coaster, doily