Towel

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Status

Not on view

Label Text

According to the inventory of property taken at Martha Washington's death in 1802, she owned over 100 towels of varying quality. Marked "W.n" for Washington, it was inherited by her granddaughter, Martha Parke Custis Peter, whose own mark, "Peter/8", graces the bottom corner.

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Date1759-1802

Medium/TechniqueLinen

DimensionsOverall (H x W ): 28 in. × 23 7/8 in. (71.12 cm × 60.64 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph G. Newman, 1984

Object numberW-2992

DescriptionSquare linen towel with self fringe; towel ground made from bleached and plain woven linen. In both the warp and the weft, two threads dyed blue run parallel to the four edges of the square. The break between the fabric and the fringe is reinforced with a whip-stitch at top and bottom. Marked in square [Algerian] eyelet stitch in the upper left corner "Wn." Marked in marking stitch in lower right corner: "Peter/8".
Published ReferencesJames C. Rees, Treasures from Mount Vernon: George Washington Revealed (Mount Vernon, VA: Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, 1999), 92.

Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., The American Heritage Society Auction of Americana, Sales Catalogue 3804 (New York: Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., 1975), Lot 1121.

MarkingsIn (Algerian) square eyelet stitch in the upper left hand corner: "W.n".

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