the look

a black cotton bandana printed in cream, made in the usa, and carrying the marks of actual work. the print is a departure from the usual boteh vocabulary: instead of paisley teardrops the border runs a dense tulip-and-vine scroll with arched palmette crowns at the midpoints, framed by a fine wave edge, and the open center field is scattered with small trefoil sprigs around a single starburst. the corner marks read 100% cotton rn 14193 and made in usa. the registration number sets the earliest possible date at 1959, since the current rn series did not begin until then, and the printed country of origin narrows it further, as american mills adopted made in usa corner marks from roughly the 1970s onward. one edge is a true selvage, the finished woven edge of the cloth, with the others hemmed. what makes this one particular is the white paint across the lower right, splattered and dragged, with flecks carrying up through the center field. it is dried paint and it is not coming out. we are not going to pretend otherwise, but we are also not going to apologize for it. bandanas were working cloth long before they were an accessory, and this one clearly spent its life in a pocket on a job.

please note: there is substantial white paint on the face, concentrated in the lower right quadrant with scattered flecks elsewhere, and it is permanent. there is also fraying and a few pulled threads along the right edge and lower right corner. graded as-is. please look closely at the photos before buying.

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.

details

• era: 1970s
• designer: unsigned
• origin: usa
• design: square cotton bandana in black with a cream print. border of dense tulip-and-vine scroll with arched palmette crowns and a fine wave edge, open center field scattered with small trefoil sprigs around a starburst. printed corner marks read 100% cotton rn 14193 and made in usa. one true woven selvage edge, the others hemmed. materials and percentages - printed corner mark states 100% cotton
• condition: as-is: substantial white paint on the face, heaviest in the lower right quadrant with dragged marks and scattered flecks through the center field and lower border. the paint is dried and permanent. fraying and several pulled threads along the right edge and lower right corner. black ground is even and the cream print is crisp elsewhere
• 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