Handkerchief

Date1780-1783

MediumCotton

DimensionsW: 26 1/2"; L: 23 1/8"; 52 warps per inch; 48 wefts per inch.

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1958-486

DescriptionSnuff handkerchief plate-printed with madder red on white cotton with ovals and rectangles outlining the genealogy of British rulers to George III. The handkerchief is printed with the title "The Royal Genealogy of England from Egbert 1st King to George 3d." The design includes a genealogical diagram of the English kings and their connections, as well as notes concerning titles of nobility. Inserts contain listings of kings of Scotland and of France, and an explanation of the whole. A leafy trailing vine borders the edges, along with a serrated outer stripe. Initials of a previous owner, RG, are embroidered in cross stitch at the left side.
Label TextThe design on the handkerchief includes fourteen children of George III and Queen Charlotte. Alfred, the fourteenth child, was born in 1780, and the fifteenth child was born in 1783. Therefore, the handkerchief must have been printed between 1780 and 1783.
MarkingsBlue threads in the selvages indicate British manufacture and a date between 1774-1811. Also marked with RG in cross stitch for the previous owner.

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