How Can You Tell An Antique from A Copy?

If someone brought to you a dirty, stained piece of linen in a broken frame and you saw it was a sampler dated 1882, how could you tell it was actuall y a copy? I'm thinking it was stitched on uneven-count linen with silk flo ss. This is to be a minor plot point in the mystery novel I'm writing. Ma ybe not even a plot point, just an interesting incident. Thanks!

Reply to
Monica Ferris
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I suspect that a microscope would show the difference between cottonized linen and real linen.

Most of the real linen now available is antique, because nobody bothers to design machinery for spinning linen when it's so easy to chop it into short bits and spin it on cotton machinery.

Reply to
Joy Beeson

I'd also look closely to see if the silk is dyed evenly or not. Many of the early dying processes didn't "take" evenly on the fibers.

IIRC green was a specific color that was difficult to dye consistently.

Nyssa, who thinks some of her stash is going to make it to antique status if she doesn't get back to stitching soon

Reply to
Nyssa

me and you saw it was a sampler dated 1882, how could you tell it was actua lly a copy? I'm thinking it was stitched on uneven-count linen with silk f loss. This is to be a minor plot point in the mystery novel I'm writing. Maybe not even a plot point, just an interesting incident. Thanks!

Perhaps, someone at the Minnesota Historical Society could help you. There website is mnhs.org.

Reply to
Janice

I see others have been really helpful (and I can't). I'll just welcome you back and encourage you to stay. This is the most posts we've had in awhile!

Also, I'm still enjoying your books, MM, so keep'm coming!

Reply to
Joan Erickson

On Monday, February 17, 2014 12:01:20 AM UTC+2, Monica Ferris wrote: Hallo Monica ,,, nice to read you and nice that you are writing a new book . Museums that have an Antiquity department, or Museum textile restoration de partments, might help you with such a problem . Carbo dating is possible with textiles , but within 10 years up or down the exact date.

of course taking it out of the frame is needed as well .. mirjam

me and you saw it was a sampler dated 1882, how could you tell it was actua lly a copy? I'm thinking it was stitched on uneven-count linen with silk f loss. This is to be a minor plot point in the mystery novel I'm writing. Maybe not even a plot point, just an interesting incident. Thanks!

Reply to
mirjam

me and you saw it was a sampler dated 1882, how could you tell it was actua lly a copy? I'm thinking it was stitched on uneven-count linen with silk f loss. This is to be a minor plot point in the mystery novel I'm writing. Maybe not even a plot point, just an interesting incident. Thanks!

Reply to
newest0

me and you saw it was a sampler dated 1882, how could you tell it was actua lly a copy? I'm thinking it was stitched on uneven-count linen with silk f loss. This is to be a minor plot point in the mystery novel I'm writing. Maybe not even a plot point, just an interesting incident. Thanks!

This has nothing to do with the question you raised, but rather to an inacc uracy in Buttons and Bones. Leech Lake is the third largest lake in Minnesota -- after Red Lake and Mil le Lacs Lake see following:

Top 5 Biggest Lakes in Minnesota By: Robert

1.Red Lake (upper, lower) - Beltrami County in the upper part of the state is the largest lake in Minnesota with 288,800 acres. Red Lake is the second largest lake in the United States that is entirely inside the U.S. borders . Red lake is separated by two sections by a peninsula causing it to be kno wn as Upper Red Lake and Lower Red Lake. 2.Mille Lacs Lake - Minnesota's second largest lake spans 132,516 acres or a little more than 200 miles. Beautiful lake that is barely deeper than 40' . You can catch Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskie, Jumbo Perch, Small Mouth Ba ss and Tullibee is Minnesota's most famous fishing lake. The primary county that this lake is in is Mille Lac. 3.Leech Lake - Leech Lake is the heart of the Chippewa National Forest. You can find walleye, northern pike, bass, and muskie in the great lake. The C hippewa Forest as the highest concentration of bald eagles anywhere in the continental U.S.--almost 200 pairs. The town of Walker is located on the sh ores of Leech Lake. 111,527 acres makes Leech Lake Minnesota's third larges t inland lake.
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newest0

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