Did you know that the prickly flower head of the teasel plant was once used in the manufacture of woolen fabrics? The dried heads were secured to drums where they were used to ‘brush’ and raise the nap of the fabric. Some traditional artists prefer to use teasel plant heads over metal cards because they are less likely to rip the fabric if caught on a snag.
This public domain illustration of a dried teasel plant head is from the 11th edition encyclopedia. They used it in the entry discussing the finishing of fabrics.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
