Late 19th century Chinese sleevebands

19th Century French Silk Passementerie

"Right after the French Revolution in 1789 the passementerie industry suffered as did all industries that produced luxury articles. However, the production of the beautiful passementerie returned with the Empire, and Napoleon I commissioned regal passementerie to decorate the royal palaces. In the Spanish campaign of 1808, elaborate passementerie adorned Napoleon's tent. "

"The French word Passementerie means ornamental trimming and evokes the idea of luxury, opulence and sophistication in decoration. Trim, which is the English translation of the word, lacks the romantic and artistic connotations of the word."
Both quotes from Antique French Textiles for Designers by June K Laval.

I am only just discovering 'the joy of passementerie', and occasionally come across it in the form of simple silk gimps,braid and fringes, sometimes I may find something a little more fancy, but at the antiques fair last week I came across a length of this wonderful fancy trimmong in pretty good overall condition. It measures just under 4" or 10cms long including the woven braid.

This length of silk-covered passementerie is probably the best I have discovered, very ornate, in what looks to be a Louis Phillipe style (produced around c1830) - see photos taken also from the above book - but I have a feeling from the construction and overall look that this example is most likely from the later 19th century or early 20th century the style of Louis Phillipe.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

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Have a Horribly Happy Halloween!

Here are a few suitably scary, sepia enhanced images from 18th, 19th & early 20th century French printed toiles... Have a horrific Halloween folks!

67 unused miniature French 19thc purse frames

I particularly like this batch of 67 unused late 19th century miniature metal purse frames that I found yesterday as the 3 different designs here are good examples of the 3 main decorative trends of the late 19th and early 20th century: The celtic design is a lovely example of an Arts & Crafts piece both in the bold celtic design and the rounded shape of the frame, the small flowing leaf is a very delicate example of the Art Nouveau style set within a slightly square but still rounded frame-shape, and finally the largest frame is more typically late Victorian, both in its shape and the style of the dainty, more naturalistic flowers.

Measuring about 2"/5cms across, they could easily be turned into period purses.
There are only a handful of the Victorian and Art Nouveau ones, but lots of the celtic Arts & Crafts style. I shall put them on my website later today, please contact me via the website email if you are interested.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Two 19th c pelmets possibly manufactured at Nantes or Alsace & Bolbec or Rouen

Here are two early 19th century French printed toile pelmets, one commemorative with some scenes from the history of Mary Queen of Scots, the other showing classical Greek scenes. They both date to somewhere about 1810-30. The red toile is plate printed in a traditional, slightly old fashioned style and most likely comes from Bolbec or Rouen as both regions are known to have produced very similar versions of this design. I am not sure about the purple toile, but I have a feeling it was manufactures at Nantes or possibly Alsace. It may be a bit earlier than the other one as it is a very neoclassical 'Empire' design, simple and elegant.

Both pelmets are currently listed on my website: www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk