Antique Hudson Bay Point Wool Striped Blanket 84 x 64" (England) 34-40s USA

Antique (1930-1940) Hudson Bay (four) Stripe and (four) Point wool blanket. These blankets date back to the 1700's when they were traded for beaver pelts by the English, French and Canadians. The intact label (called a "stacked label") on this blanket dates it to a period between 1934 and 1940 making this blanket approximately 80 years old. The four stripe colors are vibrant - red, yellow, blue and green 64 x 84" These are the traditional colors introduced in the 18th century and referred to as Queen Anne's colors since they became popular during her reign (1702-1714). The manufacture of these blankets, historically and now, entails dyeing the yarn before it is spun. The blanket is woven 50% bigger that the final finished size. It undergoes a "milling process" which reduces the blanket to prevent shrinkage and prevent hardening when exposed to extreme climatic conditions. The point system was invented by French weavers in the mid 18th century as a means of indicating the finished overall size. As this blanket has four "points" - indigo 4-5" lines woven into the side of the blanket and thus it is a full/double bed size blanket. The blanket is very heavy - nearly 8 lbs