Wonderful quality with a slight sheen of good linen.
of thick woven linen in beige and ivory with an overall chequerboard pattern enclosing stylised flowerheads, the deep border with acorns and oak leaves.
13 x 16 ft 8 in or 3.9 x 5.08 m Three breadths seamed together each measuring 65 in across.
The edge has a few little nibbles but very slight and there is one very small area of wear to central field. It looks as if it was hardly used. Photos available.
Druggets were used in large houses during the 18th century and continued until the early 20th. By the second quarter of the 19th century druggets were very wide, being sometimes two yards and sometimes four yards. They were laid over a carpet, to protect and preserve it when the room was in daily use, and only removed for company. Or they could be laid over an expensive carpet when the house was shut up for the winter. They were very tightly stretched over the carpet to avoid accidents.
This drugget was purchased from a Scottish client who lives in Edinburgh, who remembers it being used in her mother's house in the 1920's. Acorns and oak leaves, typical of the English countryside, were very popular in the early 19th c during the Napoleonic campaigns.
In 1911 Maple & Co of London were advertising Linen druggets in each size...up to 5 by 8 yds.
Textiles in America 1650-1870 - Montgomery, Florence M T p 226
Textiles at Temple Newsam - Bower, Helen p 43 , no 188 for similar.
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