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2022-39, Tablecloth
Tablecloth, "Jesse Cole / No 20. Wmsbrg"
2022-39, Tablecloth

Tablecloth, "Jesse Cole / No 20. Wmsbrg"

Dateca. 1820
OriginAmerica, Virginia, Williamsburg (tablecloth) and Europe (linen)
MediumLinen warp and weft (fiber identification by microscope) with inked inscription
DimensionsOH: 89" x OW: 83 1/2"; selvage width: 83 1/2"
Credit LineGift of Anne Geddy Cross
Object number2022-39
DescriptionThis is an almost square linen damask tablecloth inscribed in ink in the center top edge: “Jesse Cole / No 20. Wmsbrg.” It consists of a single width of fabric with selvages at sides and an 1/8" hem at top and bottom.The damask floral pattern consists of an approximate 14” wide inner border on selvage sides of mirrored formal flowers and leaves with looping stems and a 2” outer border of repeated clovers.The centerfield is made up of a design of scattered floral and leafy sprigs in two sizes.
Label TextTablecloths protected the fine mahogany surfaces of the tables and added to the splendor of the table setting. Cloths for the table were almost always woven of linen—a sturdy fiber from the flax plant, which could withstand repeated washings. The width of the linen varied with the source and intended use, and could be woven quite wide as we see in this example, which is woven 83 ½ inches wide. This cloth uses the full width of the fabric and the selvages on the sides were left unhemmed—a typical treatment in the period. The top and bottom are finished in a tiny 1/8 inch hem.
The finest cloths, like this one, were made from Irish and French linen in a damask weave structure. Damask is created by a reversible patterned weave of shiny and dull surfaces in geometric, figured, or floral designs. The best tablecloths also were to “always be white.”
Many linens were marked with initials and numbers in silk embroidery threads or ink to keep sets together and to ensure that items sent out to be laundered or mended were returned to the proper owner. This tablecloth is marked in ink with the name of its owner, "Jesse Cole / No 20. Wmsbrg." Jesse Cole, Jr., lived on Duke of Gloucester Street in a home known today as the Taliaferro-Cole House. Cole engaged in various businesses including postmaster for the town. The tablecloth descended through the Cole and Geddy families until it was given to the museum.
Markings“Jesse Cole / No 20. Wmsbrg.”
ProvenanceThe linen damask tablecloth was likely owned by Jesse Cole, Jr. (b. abt. 1793-1845) of Williamsburg, Virginia. He married first Catherine Boush Travis (1795-1841) on May 20, 1813, and second Elizabeth Boush Travis (1811-1877) in November, 1842. Cole engaged in a variety of businesses including postmaster of Williamsburg, running a boarding house for college students, and apothecary. He was a Mason and served at one time as master of Williamsburg Lodge Number 6. Jesse Cole, Jr., died on December 11, 1845. The tablecloth descended through the Coles and Geddy families until it was given to the museum by Anne Geddy Cross.