Large Red Printed Cotton Shawl | Moravia, Czech Republic

Description

Origin: Czech Republic | Moravia
Era: Early 20th century (circa 1910-1930)
Condition: good; many small holes where black dye has deteriorated fabric; couple faint stains; fraying along unfinished edges; slight fading at center; suitable for both wear and display, but reinforcing the holes with backing fabric will help extend the life of the shawl
Measurements: approximately 63″ square
Additional Notes: Such shawls were an important element of folk costumes in a number of countries throughout Europe and nearly identical examples could be found in distant corners of the continent. Based on documented examples, these appear to have been manufactured primarily in the Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then carried by traveling merchants to wherever there existed a demand for them. This example comes from Moravia where they were called “Turkish shawls” and were used for creating elaborately wrapped head coverings for women, akin to turbans. In other regions they were used as men’s accessories and even as banners in local folk customs. There is a fragment of the manufacturer’s name on one side, but it would take some work to reconstruct the cut off letters and trace the name. Modern examples continue to be made in the Czech Republic, but do not compare in quality to the old originals. Reference photos included above show girls from Hana and Uherske Hradiste wearing these types of shawl wrapped in the local style.