#c373 $950
Deco floral lamé table cover, c.1920
I love the exuberant combination of bold stylized flowers, vivid color, and burnished patina found in this superb Deco piece. The color scheme reflects the influence of the great reformer of women's clothing, Paul Poiret. By the 1920s, Poiret's influence on fashion appeared more in the dramatic design of textiles than in high fashion women's clothing.
The cloth is fashioned from metallic gold lamé with shades of magenta, purple, and melon in the flowers. The border is plain gold lamé. In a modern textile, one cannot duplicate the mellow patina, which is the tribute that time pays to beauty.
Until the 1909-1910 seasons of the BalletsRusses in Paris, the color palette of high fashion had been under the influence Art Nouveau. The favored color combinations were complementary pastels, like pale pink with dainty lilac or eggshell blue with lime green. After the enormous success of Leon Bakst's designs for the Ballets Russes, the fashion palette was turned upside down. The vivid colors we see in this table cover became all the rage.
The condition is very good to excellent. There are a few pulled threads, which get lost in the pattern and do not spoil the design.
It measures 40" square.
