Featured 12ft table runner.

I believe it’s a table runner at least. That’s one big table! It definitely didn’t fit the table in the house if came from. I believe it’s around a foot wide. Any idea who/where/when?

 

I wonder if it is primitive American? Native American wouldn't have the fringe and some of the decor look like Talons?

 

Beats the heck out of me. For some reason Eastern European came into my head.

 

I originally thought south western or south America. Neat piece!

 

It's not any NA that I've ever seen.

Looks old!

 

Ditto. Maybe Greece or former Yugoslavia?

 

Could it be a shawl that might also wrap around your neck in cold weather?

 

To me it looks like an Arts and Crafts era embroidery—I think it’s very attractive. The design, colors, and fabric bring to mind images of it draped across a long Arts and Crafts mission oak table or sideboard with a display of hand-hammered copper pieces or matte green pottery from the period.

I couldn’t find anything similar to it online, so this is just my non-professional opinion based on a few pieces of Arts and Crafts embroidery on dark linen that I’ve purchased over the years (now packed away).

The hand-loomed fabric could be black walnut dyed. I don’t know where this runner was purchased, but black walnut trees are native to North America, and both Native Americans and early settlers made dye from the trees and nuts. I don’t think the runner is Native American, however.

 

The back side of the embroidery is too messy for a shawl or scarf with all the loose ends of the thread showing, and the underside of the embroidery stitches that aren't meant to be seen.

 

This crossed my mind but kept going right out into the ether. Too wide, stiff(ish), and unfurnished on back (Like Joan said), not to mention just too long to work that way I’d think.

 

That’s a vivid and colorful description. It was in a room with a big sideboard and some matte pottery intact. However the sideboard was Scandinavian style MCM as was the table. Neither were abnormally long. Sideboard I thought was 6ft maybe 7ft. I suppose it could have been 8ft though. If it was I guess this could hang down 2ft on either side and work that way. Hadn’t thought of that. Bought in northeast US at an estate clean out buy. Last collected old stuff. Lots from the 20’s-30’s. I have the daughters #. I could always ask her where it sat, if at all. I don’t really want to bother her though.

edit: interesting about the black walnut dye. Didn’t know aboot that.

 

I wish I could expand on that thought or say something about either source you proposed but alas, I cannot. The thought came with nothing I could put into words to back it up. Maybe the question mark was for others though! Maybe someone else can follow it up. Just has an old world Eastern European look to me. Maybe a past life memory?

 

It is pretty neat I agree! I didn’t see it on my first visit and was happy to find it on my second after a few pickers had been in and a weekend long estate sale had happened.

 

Since you mentioned that you bought it in the northeast US, I'll expand a little on the black walnut dye angle (since I did a little research on Reading Eagle--tinyurl.com/yptpuxzh).

Black walnut was the preferred wood of Pennsylvania Dutch cabinetmakers during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Pennsylvania Dutch communities locally produced homespun linen that was dye-treated by a professional dyer in the community (no information on what type of dye was used). The runner looks like homespun linen to me, but maybe just as likely that it was made in Europe as in the US.