Flax to Linen

The linen museum in Lisburn is fabulous! It tells the story of linen production. 

Beautiful "wee" blue flax photos at the entrance. 

An early 18th Century linen draper examines cloth which hand loom weavers brought for sale at the Market House.

Knitted linen jacket, woven linen shirt, and military style trousers. 

Linen from the tomb of Tutankhamun about 1500 BC,,

At least 5000 years ago wall paintings show that the Egyptians grew flax, spun yarn, and wove linen cloth.  

Flax was grown in Europe too. The Phoenicians, Greek, and Roman Empires spread the use of linen for clothing and for sails and ropes. Later the rise of Christianity and the monasteries further encouraged the g own of flax and the ceremonial use of pure linen. 

Here is a 16th Century Irish nobleman wearing a tunic style shirt made of saffron dyed linen cloth. The yellow due of saffron (the autumn crocus) was traditionally held to have powers of preventing sickness.