50s/60s red paisley cotton bandana - colorfast

a classic red paisley bandana in soft, well-washed cotton, printed in white, black, and pale pink. the layout follows the standard american format, with a squared border of small open blocks, a ring of large curling boteh alternating with crosshatch florettes, and a center field scattered with tiny four-dot squares and small lashed teardrops. the only printed mark is 100% cotton colorfast in one corner, with no brand name, no registration number, and no country of origin, and that absence is itself the best dating evidence on the piece. american bandanas began carrying federal rn registration numbers in 1959 and printed country-of-origin marks from the 1970s onward, so a bandana carrying neither generally predates both conventions. the narrow turned hems point the same direction, since mills moved to machine overcast edges through the middle of the century. the colorfast wording descends from the fast color language american mills printed on bandana corners from the 1920s on, advertising dye that would survive washing. the small lashed teardrops scattered through the field are a simplified boteh, the same persian and kashmiri motif that scottish mills replicated in the nineteenth century and that americans sometimes call persian pickles.

please note: this one carries no brand or registration mark, so its exact age and maker cannot be confirmed. all four edges are finished with narrow turned hems, with no selvage.

all bandanas are gently cleaned and pressed. beyond that we let them be, so any fading, softening, or small marks of use stay exactly as they came to us.

dating: this carries no RN or country-of-origin mark; as the US RN series began only in 1959 (RN 13670, FTC RN database), the absence is consistent with an earlier or unmarked piece and the exact date is inferential.

details

• era: 1950s
• designer: unsigned
• origin: unknown
• design: square cotton bandana in red with a white, black, and pale pink paisley print. squared border of small open blocks, a ring of large curling boteh alternating with crosshatch florettes, and a center field scattered with small four-dot squares and lashed teardrop motifs. printed corner mark reads 100% cotton colorfast, with no brand, registration number, or country of origin. all four edges are finished with narrow turned hems, with no selvage. soft, well-washed hand. materials and percentages - printed corner mark states 100% cotton
• condition: very good: color is strong and even with no fading, and the print is crisp and cleanly registered. soft, broken-in hand from repeated washing, with light wear at the hems. no holes, stains, or repairs
• size & fit: one size. a standard square bandana that ties easily at the neck, head, or wrist, and works as a pocket square or a bag tie
• flat measurements: width 21 in, length 21 in

Measurements: width 21 in, length 21 in

Condition: very good: color is strong and even with no fading, and the print is crisp and cleanly registered. soft, broken-in hand from repeated washing, with light wear at the hems. no holes, stains, or repairs size & fit: one size. a standard square bandana that ties easily at the neck, head, or wrist, and works as a pocket square or a bag tie flat