Brief History of Table Linens

Although tablecloths were used in ancient times, we do not have much information about their use.
The Gauls and Romans used linen tablecloths, often colored. Guests brought their own napkins which they placed near their couches and which were used to carry the leftovers of their meals.
The importance of meals in the Judeo-Christian tradition contributed significantly to the development of the tablecloth.
It was in the Middle Ages that tablecloths became customary. They became an object of genuine veneration, because they were a mark of a lord's nobility and were only shared with people of the same rank. Most tablecloths were decorated with embroidery and fringes. At the same time simpler tablecloths appeared, for example in some taverns. People wiped their hands on a long piece of cloth laid on the edge of the tablecloth.
The 15th century saw the arrival of the "touaille", the ancestor of our napkin. This was a strip of material more than 13 feet long, folded in two over a stick and attached to the wall like a dish towel. However, it was not used much.
The napkin as we know it today dates from the 16th century, but it was very large. It was made of damask linen and soon became commonly used.
At that time it was fashionable to fold tablecloths and particularly napkins in the shape of birds, animals and all kinds of fruits. This tradition lasted for more than 200 years.
Until the 19th century, tablecloths and napkins were usually made of damask, a material with identical woven motifs on the front and back, and which was named after the city of Damascus in Syria. Silk damask was famous, exported from Persia and then from Venice for a long time. Then the countries of Northern Europe, lacking raw materials, invented linen damask which was very popular until the early 19th century.
The arrival of cotton revolutionized damask. Since the material was softer, its production gradually became industrialized. The tradition of folding napkins gradually disappeared and the size of napkins became smaller.
In the 20th century color came to the table. Tablecloths were made in pastel colors first, and then bright or darker colors. The napkin either blended with the color scheme or contrasted with the tablecloth.
After a so-called "minimalist" period during which white and ecru were very fashionable, tables are again being decorated with colored cloths and refined accessories.