Show HAS STORY OF OWN owa X handkerchiefs originally used in persia to mop face habit of snuff taking first brought it into common use its connection with royalty was dle dla semi of news new york the first handkerchief used originally in persia was a small 8 square quare of silk the principal use of 0 which was to wipe the moisture from the brow brov from persia it passed to greece and then by the way of rome spread throughout europe it was for centuries affected only by people of wealth and was used tor for many purposes ornament as a carrier of 0 f trong strong a scents as a favor to be worn wom by agalla a gallant at in his hat it was the odious habit of snuff taking which finally brought the handkerchief into common use which increased its size and changed the material of af which it was composed a writer in the rochester N Y P pok express observes the varied uses to which handkerchiefs have been put are numerous As propagators of general knowledge they were employed during the reign of queen anne to carry the text of her maje speech to parliament on april 8 1710 which was printed upon their surface burtalo Bur taco into the homes ot of m many ny who would otherwise have remained in in blissful ignorance in like manner were circulated the announcements ot of the treaty of utrecht and ot of marlboro boughs victories over the french in 1745 handkerchiefs stamped with the portraits of 0 the young pretenders pretender a leading adherents were issued with a view of 0 facilitating capture of the rebels in retaliation the stuart party printed other handkerchiefs that the rough likeness of george 11 II depicted thereon might be put to ignoble use naturally handkerchiefs kept pace with other extravagances in dress being oftentimes edged with costly lace and embroidered with initials armorial bearings love mottoes and sundry ingenious designs those lor for instance of the duchess of chevreuse Chev reuse being wor worked ked with cupido cupids pursuing one another and garlands of roses sprays of heliotrope tied with mauve colored ribbon adorned the handkerchiefs of la grande mademoiselle the niece of louise XIII while the colors of the de Castig liones corresponding on all occasions to those of her garters changed with every passing mood and passion thus when she fancied herself in love garters and handkerchiefs were blue but it the subject of her wayward affection was suspected of infidelity azure azura was discarded tor for yellow creich which she retained until her naturally buoyant spirits having exorcised exercised the demon of jealousy demanded the substitution of green as betokening exuberant gayety gaiety and rude health jewels as might have been expected entered largely into the decorative schemes employed in these delicate samples of lace work mme ame du barry owned a handkerchief on which her name was embroidered in precious stones while pearls to the value of 1000 were scattered over a square of precious lace in the possession of the ill fated marle marie antoinette whose friend the equally hapless mme ame du lamballe Lain Lam balle owned a similar superfluity more valuable however than these is a handkerchief owned by queen margerita of italy a unique specimen of fa fifteenth 11 e nth century lace valued at e 0 0 0 on january 2 1785 1795 loula louis XVI at the instance of 0 queen marle marie antoinette issued an edict decreeing that the length of handkerchiefs shall equal their breadth henceforth throughout the kingdom this edict would seem finally to have determined custom throughout the civilized world as to the future shape of a useful article |