Hello: I'm trying to find a textile historian or curator that can help me with a quick question. I have a piece on loan to our museum that I'm researching so that I can write a label and put it on exhibit. The piece is a shawl that according to the info provided by the lending institution, was handmade in 1880. The shawl looks and feels like the chenille throw that I have on my couch at home. According to a few websites that I perused, chenille wasn't invented until 1895 or 1900, and the websites appear to be referring to the cotton chenille bedspreads that were popular during the first half of the 20th century, and not the silkier (and I assume, synthetic) chenille that has become popular lately. So, what is this mystery fabric? If anyone can help me by either answering my question or forwarding my query onto a knowledgeable colleague, I would be very appreciative! Thanks, Amanda Dyer Bell County Museum ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).