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

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I loaded up a picture of longiera in use at an Ottoman feast to my website. I scanned it out of a book i have quite a while ago, to use in classes, and don't have all the appropriate info handy (i have the book, but it's at home). The painting is 16th c.

http://home.earthlink.net/~al-tabbakhah/longiera_in_use.jpg

You can see it in the laps of the diners on the right hand side. It is sheer, probably linen, and apparently embroidered with gold.

Still, no help to those searching for European info.

Urtatim (that's oor-tah-TEEM)