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Embroidered handkerchief
Public domain: Image courtesy of the Worcester Art Museum.

Embroidered handkerchief

Artist/Culture
Date19th century
MediumWhite linen with scalloped edge and bourdon embroidery
Dimensions47 x 43.2 cm (18 1/2 x 17 in.)
ClassificationsCostumes and Accessories
Credit LineGift of Mrs. E.D. Buffington
Object number1913.52
Label TextIn response to the aesthetic tastes of his wife Marie-Antoinette, Louis XVI published a 1785 decree stating that the length of handkerchiefs manufactured in France must be equal to their width. This linen handkerchief uses an embroidery technique called bourdon, which creates the raised piping effect in the floral motif and scalloped edges.
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