I have a tallit (prayer shawl) that will be used in my grandfather's great great granddaughter's wedding. I've been asked if it is originally from Europe (prior to 1900) as her parents would like to talk about this great great grandfather and describe the provenances of the tallit. Does anyone know how to 1) determine fabric without taking off a piece to burn as this would be impossible; 2) date the fabric; and date the design of such an item.