How to identify a civil war sash?

[rhill13]

Since sashes were used well beyond the Civil War period, how can one differentiate them between other eras?

 

Thanks

[confederateplanet]

Its impossible, they are very hard to date. One can only look for a wood ball or form under the tassles. The reanacter ones are plastic. Material is always pure silk and are very well made. Repros are nylon

[rhill13]

Thanks

[Steve Rogers]

I'm not sure that identifying a Civil War sash is all that hopeless if you stick to the 1861 regulation pattern that had been around at least since the 1840s. Those used in the late 1700s and early 1800s were a flat weave. The Civil War style has large knots and tassels on each each end. The sash itself is a somewhat loose woven silk. The knots are woven or stretched over elongated wooden forms sometimes called "moulds" that have a hole through the center, through which the sash part itself passes and is knotted to secure the ends. On occasion you will find just these end knots if the body of the sash has deteriorated enough. I think one seller on Ebay had two of them some time ago.

The sashes have no hooks or fastening devices. They will also vary in length somewhat since the regulations only specify they are to pass around the body twice and the ends are not to hang down more than 18 inches from where the sash is knotted on the offcer's waist on the left side.

The material is silk and you will generally find only three colors: buff for general officers, crimson for all other officers of all branches, except officers of the medical staff, whose sashes are emerald green. There may be some variations in color due to different dye lots and shifts in color over time because of the instability of vegetable dyes, but those are the three basic colors.

The crimson sashes have often faded to purple. I show one that is very well preserved, coming up at an auction cataloged by one of this forum's esteemed moderators. For all intents and purposes, I think we'd just call it red. I show part of a second sash that is in worse condition, but more informative. You can see the weave of the cloth and construction of the knots. A few red strands show the original color.

There was also a sash to designate some NCOs: company first sergeants, non-commissioned staff and the like. These were similar, but of red worsted wool and lack the wood moulds.

The army did away with sashes for all but general officers in 1872. Any used up to that point were likely left over CW inventory. After that the general's sash could be buff or gold thread.

There can be variations, sashes for militia officers and other groups, etc., but the basic CW officer's sash is fairly standard.

[Steve Rogers]

As one slight correction on the NCO sash. The 1865 QM manual does not mention the wood moulds for them, but I have seen them with the wood moulds. Sometimes they seem to be smaller than the officers knots, but this may be manufacturer's variations. The color is supposed to be red versus crimson for the officers' sashes. This is noticeable in the better preserved examples, but shifts in the dye, fading from exposure to light, etc., often makes it hard to tell. The use of wool is the clearest sign.

[rhill13]

Thanks again for the great info!

[8thairforce]

What great information you have shared . Thanks . Jim .

[rhill13]

Well I just bought myself a crimson sash with the wooden moulds mentioned above. Same fading to a purple as well. This one has obviously been stored with some brass items and has some green stains and stinks. It's nothing that if want to put near my other civil items. My question is how clean it?

[rhill13]

Correction. Not fading to a purplish, but lightening in color on the ends. Will hand washing with something like woolite work?

 

Well I just bought myself a crimson sash with the wooden moulds mentioned above. Same fading to a purple as well. This one has obviously been stored with some brass items and has some green stains and stinks. It's nothing that if want to put near my other civil items. My question is how clean it?

[Bob Hudson]

Here's one I picked up from a CW collector's estate a few years ago. I noticed that I measured the width, but don't recall why, but it must have been relevant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rhill13]

After doing some research on cleaning antique silk, I decided to wash it for about five minutes with cold water in a sink with a little baby shampoo. Then rinsing it thouroghly and soaking it in a mixture of water and vinegar. That, I read, was to keep the color from bleeding. The end result was that it looked no different and smelled no better. At least it did no damage. Maybe some loose dirt was removed, but the greenish stains from old brass were pretty embedded in the fabric. If I decide to try again, I'll use a safe but stronger detergent.