The Two Ears Brand - “Poem” Lancaster Blue Bandanna

For their 3rd bandanna design The Two Ears Brand go back to the late 1800s when America was starting to capitalize on the great expanse of the West. Bandannas of this era were inspired by nature so they often featured nature designs, flowers, fruit, and animals were often used as design elements. Referred to as “plains” bandannas, they often were worn by hard working men and women on the plains of the West. At the time the best selling book published in 1881 “The Beef Bonanza or How To Get Rich On The Plains” stirred a lot of new immigrant families to migrate west to try their hand at ranching and agriculture. These folks were outfitted for their journey and business out east where bandannas were prominently sold and manufactured, and took them west.

The design is a good example of engraved bandannas and handkerchiefs. Designs were drafted and then an expert engraver would engrave each layer separately on cylinders for printing. Each of the colours required a separate cylinder. You can see this in the lines and dots used for shading and detail.

“Lancaster Blue” was a popular colour combination during this era. Often seen on calico cotton fabrics and chintz designs, also often found on plates and tableware. The double blue was something very trendy at the time and it makes for an authentic era-accurate colour combination for the time period. Possibly being influenced by “Blue Willow” trends of the same era in England.

Notes

• 100% cotton
• Two selvedge edges
• Hand-printed
• 50cm x 50cm (19.7" x 19.7")
• Made in Japan