Collecting Vintage Lily of the Valley Handkerchiefs Hankies


by Luanne Oda - Date: 2007-04-12 - Word Count: 361 Share This!

Vintage handkerchiefs make a wonderful collectible. They are still readily available and for the most part affordable. If you want to narrow your focus down some Lily of the Valley designs are some of the prettiest vintage handkerchiefs.

For generations it has been a tradition for brides to carry a pretty handkerchief on their wedding day. Lily of the Valley flowers have also long been associated with weddings and new beginnings. According to the book, The Language of Flowers,"It is not surprising that the Lily of The Valley symbolizes the Return To Happiness, for it is the sweetest flower imaginable. With it's dainty white bells and unmistakable green scent it is said to lure the Nightingale from his nest and lead him to his mate. It is the symbol of May Day and was known as May Lily and Our Lady's tears because it grew from the tears shed by the Virgin Mary at the Cross. The flowers were grown by monks for decorating the alter and were called Ladder to Heaven because the miniature flower bells grow like steps up from the stem." The young Shulamite bride in the Bible's Book of Love, Song of Solomon, says of herself," I am the Roses of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys." The Lily of the Valley are especially popular in France and are found as a wild woodland plant throughout Europe. They were not considered a garden plant until the 16th century. They have been considered to bring good luck since the Renaissance.

You will find a wide variety of styles of Lily of the Valley hankies. Often they will be trimmed with lace. There are many embroidered designs, both all white and colored embroidery. Sometimes the lily spray will be entwined with a pair of wedding rings. The printed Lily of the Valley hankies are most striking and a red one would be the hardest to find. Blue of course is very popular due to ladies wanting, "something blue" for their wedding day.

I have found Lily of the Valley hankies made in France, Switzerland, Austria and Madeira Portugal. Madeira made linens are some of the most sought after by collectors.

HAVE FUN!


Related Tags: vintage, linens, collecting, lily of the valley, handkerchiefs, hankies, handkerchief, hankie

Be sure to visit my website for a nice selection of Lily of the Valley hankies. http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU

http://nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: