Vintage Lace Tablecloth Linen Italian Reticella Embroidery Cantù Periwinkle Blue
£55.00
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Vintage Lace Tablecloth Linen Italian Reticella Embroidery Cantù Periwinkle Blue
£55.00
Item Overview
- Type: Vintage Needle-Lace Insert Linen Tablecloth / Heritage Fine Dining Linens
- Designer: Traditional Italian Lace Artisan
- Brand: Unbranded Heritage Textile
- Manufacturer: Italian Cottage Craft Workshop
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Place of Origin: Italy
- Style: Late Art Deco Mediterranean Reticella / Cantù Bobbin Lace
- Colour: Soft Periwinkle Powder Blue Base Linen with Warm Ecru / Cream Lace Highlights
- Design Era: Late Art Deco to Early Post-War Era (c. 1935–1948)
- Material: Premium Fine-Gauge Flax Linen, Pure Cotton Embroidery and Lace Threads
- Set Includes: One (1) Single Rectangular Lace-Inlaid Linen Tablecloth
- Features: Geometric Reticella Needle-Lace Inlays, Hand-Looped Cantù Style Lace Border, Drawn-Thread Openwork Borders, Exceptional Organic Flax Texture
- Condition: Good Vintage Condition with Minor Honest Age Details (See report)
- Size and capacity: Measures an elongated rectangular profile of 68 inches by 34 inches (approx. 172 cm x 86 cm)
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This exceptional piece of Mediterranean needlework dates to the late Art Deco or early post-war transition window (c. 1935–1948). The production indicators—specifically the deployment of a dyed periwinkle flax ground rather than standard white factory linen, the graphic geometric orientation of the center cross, and the heavy hand-worked cotton buttonhole reinforcements—are classic diagnostics of this high-end pre-war decorative era.
- Historical Note: Reticella (meaning "small net") is a historic needle-lace technique originating in 16th-century Italy. It involves meticulously cutting out grids of fabric threads from a solid linen base and working geometric buttonhole stitches directly into the remaining square voids. This piece pairs that painstaking openwork with a wide, flowing Cantù-style bobbin lace edge. Tinted linens in powder or periwinkle blue were premium luxury choices during the 1930s, often hand-embroidered by regional artisans as generational centerpieces for a bride's domestic chest, intended to pass down through families.
Description
An incredibly visual and romantic acquisition for collectors of antique textiles, period prop houses, or curated tablescape stagers, this vintage Italian linen tablecloth is brimming with Mediterranean craftsmanship. Spun from a wonderfully slubby, fine-grade flax linen in a rare pale periwinkle blue shade, the piece features an extensive central geometric medallion frame that lets the tone of the underlying table show through. The outer edge is completely enveloped by a deep, flowing ecru lace border, making it a beautiful textile statement for a farmhouse refectory table or festive family gathering.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Intricate Reticella Centers: Features a massive central cross-shaped frame made of dense geometric grid lace work, entirely hand-worked with exceptional precision.
- Scalloped Cantù Edges: The entire perimeter is bordered with an elaborate bobbin lace trim featuring dense floral motifs and delicate connective brides.
- Drawn-Thread Hemming: Separating the linen body from the border is a classic hand-drawn structural hemstitch lane, showcasing an incredible attention to detail.
Condition Report
This vintage lace tablecloth is in good, structurally sound condition, presenting beautifully for its age and delicate nature. The central periwinkle linen body is strong, showing no thinning areas, dry-rot brittleness, or structural tears. The extensive interior Reticella inserts and the outer bobbin lace borders are fully intact, entirely free from broken connecting threads, unravelling loops, or perimeter detachment. As shown in the gallery images, there is a small, faint circular storage mark or handling blemish to one side of the linen field; this minor detail is commensurate with age and organic usage, does not detract from the dramatic display quality, and may yield to specialist laundering.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Securely wrapped in pristine acid-free tissue paper to prevent any textile friction or snagging, and packed inside a water-resistant transit container to ensure absolute safety during delivery.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our description, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.