T a b l e c l o t h

The History of Tablecloth


Tablecloth: Nappe - Piece of linen used to cover the table for meals.  It has a long history and goes back to the early Middle Ages.  Up to the fifteenth century, the tablecloth was very wide and was folded in two so that it could be turned over.  It was then known as the ‘double cloth’.  From this period, fashion decreed that tablecloths should be of single width instead of double.  They were often damascened or embroidered.

 The tablecloth played an essential role in feudal ceremonial.  It was acceptable for persons of different rank to dine at the same table, but the host’s place alone had the distinction of being covered with a cloth, which set him apart from those present.  If the table was entirely covered with a piece of fabric, the host’s place was singled out from the rest in being covered with a unique napkin.

 Until the end of the fourteenth century, when the individual napkin had not yet come into use, the tablecloth was covered with a ‘runner’, a long narrow strip of linen laid along the edge of the cloth, which was used by the guests to wipe their fingers and mouths.

 Table linen came into general use in the sixteenth century, when each diner had his own napkin.  At this period, luxury was carried so far that napkins were changed several times during a meal.  They were tied around the neck to protect the beautiful muslin collars worn at that period.  As the operation of knotting the two ends of the napkin was not an easy one for the diner to undertake himself, it was necessary to seek assistance from a fellow-guest, from which came the expression ‘making both ends meet.’

(Based from New Larousse Gastronomique)



At My Kitchen Table - Salads  Bowls Pictures

Green salad with lime juice dressing

Red cabbage/apple salad with mustard dressing

Celery and mushroom salad with creamy dressing

The History Of The Tablecloth Continue.

Table napkins also began to be folded in different ways. 

This customs, however, was soon abandoned but was to return three hundred years later.  In the sixteenth century, it was fashionable to fold napkins in the shape of fruits and birds.  It was also customary to perfume napkins and tablecloths with rose water and other essences.

The table linen was now woven (by craftsmen known as telliers and tisserands) in such a way as to incorporate designs in the weave of the fabric itself.

Damascene cloths and napkins began to be woven in France at Rheims and in Normandy, especially in the Caen area.  These were as beautiful as those, which had hitherto been made in Flanders and Venice.  A man called Graindorge had the idea of weaving chequered patterns and flowers into table linen.  His son, Richard, made damascene cloths with designs of human figures, animals and other models.  Michel, Richard’s son, founded several factories for the production of damask table linen and its use spread throughout the kingdom.

(From New Larousse Gastronomique)

I hope you all enjoy reading the history of the tablecloth.


Susy