Rustic Basin Tablecloth, Marked Tb - France, Late 18th Or Early 19th Century

Late 18th or early 19th century, France. Rustic tablecloth in basin, woven and shaped from linen and cotton, among the oldest household linens ever recorded, along with historical damasks. Woven on a handloom in a single width, both ends are hemmed in period style, one corner featuring a red embroidered monogram. Following my research for the bathroom of the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris, I was able to identify the ancestors of our household linens, which were primarily made of basin or bazin, an absorbent fabric. Here, it features a sophisticated reversible weave of linen and cotton with geometric checkerboard and rectangle designs. This tablecloth has been cleaned and finished, clean and without holes or stains. Ready for immediate use in a historical setting, a farmhouse, a manor house, or a country home! In very good condition. Dimensions: 198 cm x 110 cm. We will quote Chateaubriand from French literature concerning this enigmatic Basin or Bazin: "The tenants of the coast are of a fine Norman stock; the women, tall, slender, and agile, wear grey wool corsets, short petticoats of woolen cloth and striped silk, and white stockings with colored corners. Their foreheads are shaded by a wide headdress of basin or batiste, the tabs of which are turned up in the shape of a beret, or flutter like a veil." Chateaubriand, Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe, vol. 1, 1848, p. 205.