*Damask is woven in multi-piece runs and removed from the loom in batches. Please allow 3–12 months for completion.
 
I have had a love affair with linen damask since the first time I laid eyes on a napkin woven in the 17th century. The pattern in damask is created through the contrast of the warp and weft yarns in the woven structure itself. Areas displaying one set of yarns pick up the light differently than those that display the other set. As the viewing angle or light changes, the patterning appears to come and go, giving damask an almost magical quality. Singles linen yarns become highly reflective when subjected to the pressure of a mangle or iron, taking on a silky sheen. These napkins are woven on the oldest working Jacquard loom in the United States, a Jacquard specifically built for the Irish linen damask industry.
 
The design of this napkin celebrates the source of prosperity for the Netherlands in the 17th century—the sea. Boats, ships, and creatures of all description ply the waves below a gated port city. Side borders contain compass roses, cross staffs, anchors, globes, squares, dividers, and log books. Upper and lower borders feature navigating mermaids, the four winds, and seahorse riding, trident wielding mermen. Seven stars in the lower corners represent the seven United Provinces of the Netherlands. The scene encompasses peace, conflict, work, play, mythology, and the mundane realities of life on the water. 
 
This is a large napkin on the order of napkins from the 16th–19th centuries; open them full size for formal occasions, or fold them up for everyday use. Woven of natural gray singles linen yarn, their color will gently mellow with age into a buttery cream color, a testament to the many meals they've witnessed. Linen has a uniquely elegant versatility, beautiful when line dried with casual wrinkles, or mangled or ironed to bring a high gloss to the damask pattern. A well made linen napkin is an investment that will serve dutifully on the table for centuries.