This is similar to previous shawl except for a different colourway. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that this shawl was also produced by Heiton, Clarke & Co., Paisley.
Shawls were woven with a fine twofold cotton warp and a botany or merino woollen weft. The structure of the shawl is an interchanging double cloth, the pattern created where one cloth changes places with the other on the front and back of the cloth. This shawl is very worn – literally threadbare – as the warp yarns can now be seen on the surface of the cloth, presenting an overall speckled appearance. This is quite different to how it would have appeared when new, when the nap on the surface would have hidden the warp yarns and presented a solid colour in the pattern and the plain areas of the shawl.
An interesting feature found in this shawl, and not found on those in Paisley, is the is addition of coloured yarn, which appears to have been sewn in by hand, following the outline of some elements of the pattern, giving additional coloured highlights. As far as can be ascertained these appear to be multi coloured chenille yarns. Similar additional yarns have been observed in the Galway shawls held in the National Museum of Ireland. It is not known at what stage in the life of the shawl these yarns were inserted or by whom, but it may have been done to spruce up the shawl once it began to fade or get shabby.
Dr Dan Coughlan, Curator of textiles, Paisley Museum, Scotland
