Old shawl, table cover, identification?

Hi there. I have this shawl, table cover actually not sure what it is. I believe it was my grandmothers and I am 58 years old. From what I can remember was told it was silk. Been folded away in a plastic bag for years. Interested to know more about it and if it has any value at all. Thank you.

Oh dear cant upload file! I never had issues in past is there a bug?

For further explanation seeing I cant upload image item depicts Taj Mahal I think. It is a golden yellow background with various colours making up the images and has a fringe all the way round. Fringe is silvery white on two sides and gold on other two sides.

 

Hi Snow White, is the file too big?

 

I've posted same item on Facebook and a couple of other sites and not had an issue.

 

Managed to copy from other site I posted on. I think it might be a ww2 piano shawl? Woukd love to find out more about it. Where it was made, how it was made and if it's of any value. I know my Uncle was in WW2 and often bought presents for his mum, my grandmother so guess it could have been a present from him. Thanks for any comments.

 

You can test that very carefully by cutting of a piece of thread, and holding a flame to it. If it burns slowly, without producing a flame, and it smells like burning hair, it is silk.
If it catches fire, forms 'beads' and smells like plastic, it is not silk.

 

Measurements, please, and a photo of the back and close-ups.
In your one photo it appears to be a pillow-sized tourist piece.

 

Hi there. Measurements are approx 32 inches x 32 inches excluding fringe.

I'll try now to upload some more photos. The first one is the reverse side followed by close ups of the front.

 

These textiles are usually called piano shawls. You can find many examples on ebay using that as a search term. Most are dated to the mid 20th century. I am not sure where they were made - perhaps China. Many do feature images of the Taj Mahal, but I do not think that is what is portrayed on yours. Images of the Taj Mahal usually feature the distinctive dome. Yours shows what may be a generic middle eastern gateway.

 

Interesting thank you.

 

I'm not really keen on cutting a strand off to test if it's silk but when I put it away found a strand had come away so put it on bedside table to test later.

Went back to get it and has disappeared! Will have to have a good look for it as would be interesting to do test to see if it's silk or just rayon.

Can anyone tell this from reverse image?

Also can I safely iron out the creases? I am tempted to frame it to display what do you think?

 

Just a single piece of thread will do. One that is longer than the rest of the strand, for instance.

No, that just tells us the way it is woven.

Sure, put it on the lowest heat and you'll be fine.

 

.. and if stored again, wrap in acid-free tissue.. throw away the plastic bag!

 

How was it woven please?

 

jacquard

 

Thank you.

 

At 32" x 32", it's too small to be correctly called a piano shawl, and the fringe isn't long enough. Piano shawls were usually embroidered and the weight of the embroidery and fringe helped it drape nicely and keep it in place. In the "olden days", piano shawls actually served the purpose of protecting the top of the piano.
IMHO, the OP's item is simply a decorative small table cover.

Also, it's machine-woven.

A beautiful black piano shawl:



And a pretty white one:



A piano shawl doing its job:

 

I suspect it's rayon. Don't use steam.

 

Agree.