This turkey centerpiece was made from three linen napkins -- two for the fan of tail feathers and one for the head and breast (which is stiffened with aluminum foil). The discernible beak results from the white napkin's red border.
Fancy or otherwise, napkins did not appear in Europe until the seventeenth century; in the Middle Ages, a long cloth known in French as a longiere was attached to the side of the tablecloth for communal use.
Turkey How-To
1. Fold a napkin in half diagonally, and press; press all folds as you go. Open napkin. Fold in the top two sides to meet at center crease. To make the turkey's breast and head, shape a folded piece of aluminum foil into a triangle; fit it into napkin as shown. The height of the foil triangle should allow for a bend at the bottom to keep napkin upright (about 3/4 length of napkin measured diagonally between opposite corners). This elegantly simple fold looks appropriate at either an informal meal or a formal one.
