Originally from Paisley in Scotland, this shawl, which is approximately 200 years old, was owned and used by a lady in Galway.
The style of patterning in the borders is known as ‘harlequin’ on account of the brightly coloured patches of colour, in various shapes, which provide the ground on which the paisley motif and other decorative details are placed. The making of this type of shawl was introduced into Paisley around 1824 and enjoyed a brief period of popularity until commercial crisis of 1826 rendered them too expensive for the popular market. The plain centre was usually made from spun silk and while the borders were made on a finer thrown silk warp with worsted or cotton weft.
Complex patterns of this type were woven on drawlooms in Paisley, while the plain centres could be woven on a simpler treadle or plain loom. However, this particular shawl has a paisley motif woven into one corner of the centre, indicating that this was also woven on a drawloom.
The centre of the shawl and the borders were woven separately and later sewn together. Two of the borders are sewn on to adjacent sides of the centre fabric, with the correct side facing up, forming a right angle, and the other two borders are sewn on in a similar manner, but with the back of the cloth facing up. The back has a fuzzy appearance resulting from threads been removed by clipping during the finishing process. By this means, the shawl, when folded in half diagonally just short of the middle, and worn over the shoulders, both borders are fully displayed, providing twice the normal area of pattern on display. Shawls constructed in this manner, to be folded and worn are known as ‘turnover’ shawls.
Information courtesy of Dr Dan Coughlan, Curator of Textiles at Paisley Museum and Art Gallery
