The smallest thing on the table, and the one guests actually hold.

Six inches square, in sets of four. That is the size fine linen houses have settled on for cocktail hour, and it is the size that works in one hand while the other is holding a glass. Small enough to disappear into a drinks setting, large enough for the embroidery to be read properly, which is how a cocktail napkin is seen: flat, from above, while somebody decides where to put their drink.

The linen is cut, sewn and embroidered in Italy, one motif at a time. The flax is grown in the linen belt of western Europe, where nearly all fine European linen begins. Each napkin goes in the machine on a gentle cycle at 30°C and is pressed on the reverse while slightly damp.

Because they are seen one at a time rather than as one large field of fabric, motifs can be mixed. A set bought this year sits happily beside one bought next year, which makes them the easiest linen in the house to collect slowly.

Questions

What size are these cocktail napkins?

Six by six inches, 15 by 15 cm, sold in sets of four. That is the standard cocktail format among fine linen houses. How it differs from luncheon and dinner sizes, and why the labels overlap, is explained in cocktail, beverage or luncheon.

How many do I need?

Plan one in use per guest. The three to four per person figure you will find online comes from the paper trade, where each napkin is used once and discarded. Owning more than you set out is what makes the difference, and the reason is usually laundry.

How do I wash them?

Machine wash on a gentle cycle at a maximum of 30°C, and iron on the reverse with medium heat while still slightly damp. Deal with a mark while it is fresh and most of them come out.

Do the motifs have to match?

No. Cocktail napkins are seen individually, in the hand or under a glass, so different embroideries sit together easily when the linen and the colors are of a piece.

What are they used for?

Drinks and anything eaten with the fingers: aperitivo, a bar cart, olives and canapés, coffee on a tray. They work beneath a glass, beside a bread plate, or as a second napkin at a place setting where the larger one does the practical work.

Are they the same as a dinner napkin?

No. A dinner napkin covers a lap and is used throughout a meal. A cocktail napkin is made for the hour before, when guests are standing and holding a drink in one hand.

Where are they made?

Cut, sewn and embroidered in Italy, in sets of four. The flax itself is grown in the linen belt of western Europe.