Here is a rare and museum qualityl antique Palestinian embroidered shawl from the mid 1800s (Very similar to the one at the Metropolitan Museum). It is silk floss on a handwoven hemp background. The purple dye may be derived from Mediterranean seashells. This dye is also known as Tyrian purple, Phoenician purple or Imperial purple and is extracted one drop at a time from Mediterranean sea snails since antiquity. Dimensions: It measures 35 x 77 inches. Origin: Levant -- Palestine Circa: mid 1800s. Materials: Silk floss and natural hemp. Organic dyes. Condition: Excellent with some stains. (please note i rarely wash antique textiles as methods vary with curators and collectors who sometimes prefer to preserve textiles in their "as-found" DNA). Provenance: acquired from a textile collector. Price: On Request