[Sca-cooks] Runners/longieres instead of napkins?

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Jim Chevallier wrote:
> Lovely image. I would think something that diaphanous would be silk, no?
>
> All this makes me wonder if this was yet another Eastern import that came
> to France after the Crusades. 

Angharad replied
> Linen was woven much finer in period than you generally find it now
> (diaphanous is not implausible), and it would certainly make more sense to
> use it as a napkin like item, as it is both highly absorbent and more
> washable than silk. On the other hand, given that it's embroidered with gold
> it would be hard to wash either way. 

Indeed, Angharad is correct. Nowadays so-called "handkerchief" linen is usually just very loosely (coarsely) woven out of threads not exceptionally fine. But i actually own some 100 year old linen handkerchiefs, and the threads are spun as finely as silk, they feel nearly weightless, and, yes, they are rather sheer.

Based on my research i feel confident that the diaphanous longiera would have been linen. I am not certain how all things were done in the Ottoman palace, but i know sometimes items were made for special events and never used again. So it is conceivable that very fine linen napery was made, embroidered with silk and gold, and either put in storage (yes, without cleaning), or cut up and distributed to guests, or discarded.

As far as something like the longiera coming from the East to Europe with former Crusaders, i have no idea at this time.

Urtatim (that's oor-tah-TEEM)