Napkins today are mundane and practical, made from paper or cheap factory cloth and folded, if at all, hastily into a rectangle. In the past, napkins weren’t just for wiping hands or protecting clothing — they were works of art.
Charlotte Birnbaum, who along with folding artist Joan Sallas co-created a history of napkin art in the book The Beauty of the Fold, says the change from “folded cloth to folded art” occurred in 16th century Florence, Italy. It had become fashionable for the wealthy to wear voluminous clothing and ballooned sleeves.
That bigger and more extravagant thinking soon spread to table linens, too. Napkins became bigger and bigger and, instead of putting a big pile of cloth like a bed sheet on the plate in front of guests, Birnbaum says, “they started to fold it.”
Starched linens were pleated into large table centerpieces known as “triumphs.” They depicted real or mythical animals, natural elements such as trees and architectural shapes that resembled castles or fountains. In addition to being a display of wealth, there was meaning hidden inside the folds.
“At wedding banquets, each guest received a personal napkin,” says Sallas. “The model reflected whether you were the bride, the groom, a man or woman and so on.” Folded napkins today simply make the table setting look nicer, Sallas laments.