The edge of a textile sample can carry information that its central pattern does not. A finished woven edge deserves a different description from an edge cut later through the cloth.
The V&A’s Project Interwoven account draws attention to textile edges and the way mounting can hide them. It offers a useful reminder to look beyond the decorative area presented most prominently.
In your own viewing note, identify which edges the museum image actually shows. A selvedge is formed along the side during weaving; a cut edge belongs to a later division of the fabric. Do not identify either solely from a blurred thumbnail.
For a sketch, use different line styles for visible finished edges, visible cut edges and areas concealed by a mount. Keep uncertain identifications marked as uncertain rather than making the diagram look complete.
The presence of an edge may help frame questions about the original width or orientation of a textile, but an isolated fragment cannot automatically reconstruct the entire fabric. Consult the catalogue’s measurements and specialist description before making that leap.
Do not lift a historic textile or remove a mount to inspect what the photograph hides. The useful research result may be a precise question for the institution. A plain-looking border can be important evidence, provided we distinguish what is available to see from what we hope it might explain.
The accompanying visual is an editorial illustration.