The story of blue tablecloth
The story of blue tablecloth starts in the 17th century Tbilisi, where cotton fabrics were dyed using indigo pigments and embellished with national ornaments. The colour was apparently chosen to disguise stains caused by the spills of dark Georgian red wines.
The blue tablecloth has since then become a feature of every table in Tbilisi homes and still remains the first glimpse of Georgian hospitality to this day. The modern versions of the tablecloth include red and green fabrics.
Lilakhana dyers
In the 17 and 18th centuries Tbilisi, Tatris Moedani traders sold imported satin and brocade from the Far East, along with white flax and cotton fabrics. The main buyers of these products were the Lalikhana (dyers) shop owners, and they became the very same materials used by Lalikhana dyers to produce the infamous blue tablecloths that would become a feature of every table in a Tbilisi home — and eventually the homes of all Georgians.
