Black beauty

I once met a man who displayed ‘found’ things all around his home – peacock feathers, interesting bits of wood – and had the habit of writing his name and the date of the discovery on each item. In black marking pen. This must be the most basic way of saying, This is mine?. Ownership is important to us, specially if something is precious or irreplaceable, and putting our personal stamp on our property highlights that ownership.

The tradition of marking linen began around 800 years ago. In those early days it was done with a crude type of ink; embroidery was reserved for royalty and nobility in Britain and Europe. Although it is the world’s oldest textile decoration, sumptuary laws that limited private expenditure on food and personal items, including textiles and clothing, controlled who was allowed to enjoy such finery. In France, the revolution towards the end of the 18th century saw these laws abolished and fine thread, needles and cloths could then be bought by anyone who could afford