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#c401 $2,600 Two Fortuny Sévigné stenciled cotton drapery panels, 1950s. The fabric is stenciled with the Sévigné pattern, based on a 17th century French design produced for Madame de Sévigné. It was purchased in Italy by a traveling American in the late 1950s. When the fabric was made into drapes, the selvedge edges with the Fortuny identification were cut off so that the fabric would not pucker. The well documented Sévigné pattern can be found in the Fortuny literature. Each panel is finished on the outside edge and bottom with a Fortuny stenciled border. NEW LISTING | |
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#2535 $1,800 Handmade Brussels Duchesse lace wedding train, c.1910. The train is shaped to attach to your gown at the shoulders. The upper portion features a small floral pattern of Brussels bobbin lace; the lower portion has wide borders of Duchesse lace. The subtle elaborations and intricacies of the floral design are of the last degree of charm. Here are the highly stylized, flowing, curvilinear forms characteristic of Art Nouveau. A rare and exacting technique is required to achieve the refined and subtle complexity of Brussels Duchesse, a Belgian lace style developed in the 1850s. NEW LISTING | |
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#7100 $450 Block printed cotton panel, late 18th century. The design was printed on cotton 25 1/2" wide. The panel consists of 4 1/2 pieces sewn together by hand with tiny running stitches. The cotton is remarkably strong—ideal for pillows or a valence to add an antique accent to your decor. How wonderful to have this superb period fabric to recycle! In view of the limits of print technology 240 years ago, the color palette is quite inventive: chocolate brown, pink-orange, midnight (eagle) green, and cream white. NEW LISTING | |
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#7090 $700 Raised beaded net panel, c.1900. Judging by the shape, the panel likely was originally used in a skirt. The three dimensional raised beading in the panel is exceptional. The padded center of each large flower is 3/8" above the surface of the net ground. The bold floral pattern is executed in jet black glass beads that sparkle in the shifting light. By banishing color from the design, the beading artist has created a scintillating, duo-tonal pattern that imparts a remarkable verisimilitude to this picture of flowers, sprigs, and leaves in bloom. NEW LISTING | |
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#7139 $550 Handmade Honiton lace panel, late 19th century. The extremely fine Honiton lace is assembled from separate floral motifs made by different lace makers. The bobbin lace in our panel is made from delicate beige flax thread. The panel is backed with matching silk chiffon. The panel can be used as a layover pillow sham or draped over the back of your couch, where you and your friends will be able to appreciate its beauty—the essence of connoisseurship. The rich complexity achievable with the Honiton technique is evident in the intricate, gossamer floral design. NEW LISTING | |
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#7031 $1,200 Chinese hand-embroidered silk shawl, c.1910. Made from substantial weight turquoise silk crepe and bordered all around with hand-knotted silk fringe. The dazzling color is breathtaking. Each corner features a large bouquet of roses and mixed small flowers in shades of magenta, rose, burgundy, lavender, peach, and blue. The variety, brilliance, and verisimilitude of the flowers testify to the peerless artistry of the designer. The large roses, especially in the corners, draw the viewer's eyes. Each rose is like a queen surrounded with vines and bright hued smaller flowers, paying homage to her beauty. | |
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#7094 $450 Hand-embroidered cutwork panel, c.1900. The exquisite cutwork panel of cotton batiste came from a wealthy New England estate. The upper portion is embroidered with small floral sprigs. I love the unusual melons in the elaborate cutwork design in which are intimations of minarets and harems with the exotic enchantments of the East. The panel has darkened to pale beige, as it was in storage for many years. A good soaking would return it to white. I left it alone because I know that many of you will appreciate the antique finish. | |
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#7097 $475 4.3 yards black cotton lace, c.1900. The exquisite lace panel came from a wealthy New England estate. The lace, though machine made, is notable for the unique pattern, which depicts berries ripening on a tree. The design successfully combines two aesthetic principles that are often in opposition: verisimilitude and schematic representation. You will not find anything so fine in a modern lace. The original owner must have thought highly of it because it was carefully stored with many pieces of fine handmade lace. | |
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#7039 $875 Silk gauze rectangular shawl, 1810-1820. The fresh lemon hue in the resplendent shawl is like the afterglow of the sun, still illumining the horizon with its beauty two centuries later. The summer weight shawl is sheer and delicate. The two black panels are bordered with pink ribbon weave; the pink panel is bordered with turquoise ribbon weave. The floral motif is remarkably free in line, effortlessly limning the gay and sprightly feeling of a spring day. The design brings to mind Japanese brush painting: strikingly beautiful, simple and pure, yet strong and resonant. | |
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#7038 $800 Deco tambour embroidered tulle shawl, 1920s. Our splendiferous shawl is tambour embroidered with metallic bronzed gold and colorful silk floss on a sheer black silk tulle ground. The design combines a Deco geometric grid radiating out from a central medallion with old fashioned sprays of roses. The romantic roses are all the more effective in the very "modern" Art Deco design. The key motif: centrifugal lines, radiating out from the central medallion, where the design borrows an harmonious symmetry from nature. | |
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#7073 $750 Chantilly lace shawl, 1860s. With its irresistible allure, black Chantilly lace, associated with the romance of the night, is the perfect medium for the ultra-feminine floral design. The intricate design features delicate tendrils caressing lace flowers, which stretch out their petals, yearning for the sun. The amazing painterly detail in the flowers is memorable. Today on the runways in Paris, Chantilly lace is making a comeback. Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy told American Vogue that “lace is delicate and romantic, but at the same time, it has to be strong." | |
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#7030 $985 French jacquard paisley shawl, 1850s. The unusual green center is complemented by a strong color scheme softened by an elaborate, all-over woven pattern, creating a rich, subtle effect. The ends are bordered with fringed gates of red, green, blue, and gold. The complex Persian-style design evokes the mysteries of the East and exotic places where one could luxuriate in pleasure: Port Said, Shanghai, Turkestan, Constantinople—all lands of sad, haunting music and many odors, where lust could be a mode of life, where the shades of night skies and sunsets reflected the moods of passion, which had the color of lips and poppies. | |
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#7034 $3,800 Minnie McLeish printed cotton panel, c.1923. The exuberant Deco design is a celebration of color and graphic design. The innovative English textile designer Minnie McLeish is best known for the bold painterly designs she produced in the early 20th century. The brilliant cotton panel is printed with exotic birds nestled in large-scale flowering branches. The vibrant color scheme includes shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, and green on a mottled blue ground. This masterwork shows the influence of Fauvism (1905-1907), where vivid colors and simple flattened shapes were the dominant motifs. | |
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#7040 $950 Silk damask shawl, 1830s. The damask weave shawl is reversible: a lilac ground with blue flowers on one side and a blue ground with lilac flowers on the other. It was originally folded on the diagonal to form a triangle when worn. The stylized floral pattern is softened by muted ground colors. You can wear it (carefully), or else use it to elaborate your home decor. Antique textiles work equally well in period rooms and as accents in contemporary decors. This beauty would add color and drama to a display of white dresses of the period. | |
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#7035 $950 Paisley handloom shawl, 1840s. Hand woven with a blend of wool and silk, the striking shawl catches the eye with its rich tomato red ground and contrasting fuchsia fringed border. The all-over diagonal pattern of floral paisley (boteh) motifs is in shades of green, pink, ochre, and pale blue. It is bordered all around with larger floral bouquets; each corner has a large floral paisley motif. I have been selling paisley shawls for years, but this is the first one whose provenance is actually Paisley, Scotland! | |
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#2325 $950 Tamboured net shawl, early 19th century. In the early 19th century, embroidered nets were as popular with ladies of high social standing as were handmade lace. The shawl is made from fine black cotton machine-made net hand embroidered with delicate tamboured floral sprays. The purity of line and aesthetic restraint of the monochromatic floral design exhibit the artless beauty we treasure today. The delicacy of embroidered net is perfectly suited to the Neoclassical aesthetic (light, planar, geometric forms). | |
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#7036 $750 Printed wool shawl, 1850s. The rare spotted motif, printed on a black wool ground, features borders of paisley motifs framing a field of unexpected large black polka dots alternating with floral lozenges. The effect is still fresh and lively—true serendipity! Large square shawls, originally worn as substitutes for coats or jackets, make a striking interior design statement today. Drape it over your couch where you can enjoy this piece of textile art up close. | |
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#7033 $950 Liberty printed damask shawl, early 20th century. The exotic Persian-style pattern was printed on a ground of delicate peach silk damask. The multi-colored, paisley (boteh) motif, originally borrowed from imported Kashmir shawls in the 1790s, found an enduring place in the vocabulary of European print design. The incredibly fine grained scale of the design has an effect similar to that of Pointillist painting (Georges Seurat, 1886). There is a padded Chinese floral closure, a detail often used in Liberty designs. | |
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#2429 $650 Fortuny de Medici stenciled cotton valence, 1950s. The fabric, stenciled with the de Medici pattern, was purchased in Italy by a traveling American in the late 1950s and made into a window valence. The bottom is finished with a stenciled border print. The valence is backed with plain beige cotton. Although Fortuny stenciled patterns are still produced today, lovers of textile art appreciate the superior quality of his vintage pieces. This exceptional find is a twofer: you get the high quality of a vintage textile without the wear of used piece. | |
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#2481 $1,450 Deco silk print shawl, c.1925. Made from black silk crepe printed with larger-than-life stylized flowers, the brilliant Deco shawl from the heyday of the movement (1925) shows off the style in all its self-confident glory: elegant, bold, and optimistic. We can see the inspiration of Fauvism (1905-1907), where vivid colors and simple flattened shapes were the dominant motifs. The boldly graphic design plays changes on the geometric theme of the circle or disk. It is as if the great geometer Euclid had taken lessons from Pablo Picasso to design the shawl, which would find pride of place on any museum wall. | |
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#6722 $450 Assuit shawl, 1920s. Assuit cloth is a cotton mesh fabric embroidered with hammered metal pieces. The metal is wrapped around the mesh, and the ends are hammered under to hold the piece in place. This type of cloth, produced since biblical times, is named for the Assuit region of Egypt, where it originated. The shawl has silver-covered copper pieces on an ivory cotton mesh ground. | |
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#2471 $975 Deco metallic brocaded chiffon shawl, c.1920. Made from burnt orange silk chiffon brocaded with stylized Deco roses, geometric squares, and wavy lines, the brilliant shawl illustrates the pairing of of exoticism and modernity, which was at the core of the Art Deco movement. The ends are bordered with matching hand-knotted silk fringe. There is a haunting, Eastern sensibility in the monochrome motif of squares and wavy lines. The real antique metallic fibers have a mellow glow—the tribute that time pays to beauty. | |
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#6981 $950 Liberty brocaded chiffon shawl, early 20th century. The exotic Persian-style pattern is printed and brocaded on a ground of sheer brown silk chiffon, creating a multi-colored, serpentine motif that conveys the enigmatic allure of the East. The layered effect of the richly textured, Persian-style pattern calls to mind the splendors of Central Asian textile art imported into Europe via the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean. There is also a padded Chinese floral closure, a detail often used in Liberty designs. The gossamer shawl will not keep you warm, but you will be wrapped in beauty. | |
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#7074 $850 Chantilly lace shawl, 1860s. The intricate floral pattern is worked in very fine thread, curving to accommodate the shape of the pattern, giving the shawl an ethereal quality. The grand scale of the design, impressive over the enormous hoop skirts of the mid 19th century, is equally striking today over a simple evening dress. The gossamer delicacy of the floral pattern is underlined by the the use of black only. What a great choice if you want the look without the high cost ($2000+) of handmade Chantilly lace! | |
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#1088 $1,650 Chinese burgundy satin wall hanging, c.1910. The design is rendered in elegant muted shades of blue, turquoise, silver, rust, gold, beige, and rose against a burgundy background. The central figure is a brilliant bird of paradise resplendent in her proud plumage. Here the colors compete with and complement each other: the ivory with the black; the gold with the aqua; and dominating it all, the splendiferous turquoise tail feather, ending in a tiny fantasy floral star. | |
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#6224 $7,000 Punto in Aria needlepoint lace panel, c.1620. Part of a European collection, the lace is very old and rare; the work is exquisite; and the design is breathtakingly beautiful. There is no woven or plaited foundation. The 16th century technique uses separated decorative point edgings for linen shirts and chemises. By the 17th century, lacemakers could fashion continuous lengths of lace. This guipure lace is worked mainly in the buttonhole stitch. | |
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#6921 $950 Handmade mixed lace boudoir throw, c.1900. The center medallion of handmade bobbin lace portrays a lady and gentleman in a garden. The panel is surrounded with a larger medallion of fine batiste, hand-embroidered with padded satin-stitch flowers. As the eye moves outward, it encounters an harmonious collection of hand-assembled tape lace, Brussels bobbin lace, and Cluny lace as well as fine embroidery. | |
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#2400 $850 Princess lace wedding veil, c. 1910. The veil forms a gossamer, gracious and modest mantle for the bride on her most important day. While the strong have power, and the rich their wealth, the beautiful have their grace. Princess lace is a good buy if you want the look without the expense of handmade Brussels lace. I have sold comparable veils, fashioned from handmade Brussels lace, for over $2,400. | |
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#2392 $950 Princess lace wedding veil, c. 1910. The tulle is hand appliquéd with bouquets of princess lace flowers. Princess lace is a delicate tape lace created in the same shapes as handmade Brussels lace. The handwork is superb. The attached wired crown framing the face uses contrasting laces, forming a magnificent lace tiara. The veil is fit for a Princess on her wedding day. | |
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#6816 $950 Normandy mixed lace spread, mid 20th century. The fine hand-embroidered batiste medallions are surrounded by a mixture of lace and needle-run embroidered tulle. With their baskets of spring flowers, the ruffled tulle borders have a winning charm. Here is the best of the new and the old: large enough to be used on a modern bed; while the fine handwork evokes the tranquil beauty of an earlier era. | |
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#6721 $750 Sold Devoré velvet shawl, early 20th century. Rectangular with fringe on 3 sides. The top edge, without fringe, has been folded and ruched to form a collar. You can wear the shawl like this or snip the hand-stitched threads that hold the folds in place to have a flat shawl to use in your home. The robust Deco velvet flowers are cut to a ground of sheer black chiffon. Especially striking is the graphic red-and-black color pattern. The two-tone border of hand-knotted silk fringe has an appealing antique charm. | |
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#6920 $550 Handmade lace pillow sham, c.1900. The long tubular sham is open on both ends. It is fashioned from oatmeal colored tulle embroidered with floral garlands. On the front are classical, Greek motifs made from handmade filet lace. The center diamond panel is made of hand embroidered batiste with the monogram "KK" also on the front. The ends of the sham are bordered with filet lace. | |
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#4133 $250 Handmade Brussels Duchesse lace wedding hankie, c.1900. Embellished with a wide border of handmade Brussels Duchesse lace, a bobbin lace style developed in the 1850s. Parts were constructed separately with filmy linen stitch or half stitch and then assembled. Leaves were often veined with raised oversewn bundles of threads. In the graceful, flowing design of our hankie, bouquets of flowers and leaves are connected by bobbin lace brides with picot edges. | |
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#4132 $250 Handmade Honiton lace wedding hankie, c.1900. Embellished with a wide border of handmade Honiton lace. The inner portion of the border features Honiton motifs that are hand appliquéd onto a fine net ground. The center of the hankie is sheer cotton batiste. With the intricate border of fine Honiton lace, this is one of the finer hankies you will find. | |
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#4094 $450 Brussels lace scarf, c.1900. The scarf is fashioned from delicate ivory silk damask. With its loosely woven ground, the stylized floral pattern beautifully complements the floral pattern of the handmade Brussels linen lace borders. Brussels was an important center for the manufacture of fine handmade lace in the 17th century, but WWI ended the Belgian fine handmade lace industry, accounting for its relative rarity and expense today. | |
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#4093 $450 Brussels lace scarf, c.1900. Made from delicate ecru silk damask. I love the contrast of the geometric weave with the delicate flowers of the handmade Brussels linen lace borders. This is the celebrated Brussels lace, known for its delicacy, beauty, and expense! Brussels was an important center for the manufacture of fine handmade lace in the 17th century. After a late 18th century decline, the handmade lace industry was revived under Napoleon, continuing through the lace trade boom of the 1860s. WWI ended the Belgian fine handmade lace industry, accounting for the relative rarity of Brussels lace shawls today. | |
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#4073 $1,950 Hand-embroidered Kashmir shawl, c.1810. The body of the shawl is fashioned from fine black wool twill. The sides and ends are bordered with hand woven panels. The ends are finished with different colored sections pieced together and hand embroidered with stylized designs. Each end has a unique combination of colors. The whimsical hand-embroidered flowers just above the woven end panels are especially noteworthy. A softly draped colorful shawl, like this one with its exotic pattern, complemented the plain white muslin gowns of the Neoclassical era. | |
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#4071 $1,950 Hand-embroidered Kashmir shawl, c.1810. The body of the shawl is fashioned from fine red wool twill. The sides and ends are bordered with hand woven panels. The ends are finished with different colored sections pieced together and hand embroidered with boteh and stylized flowers. There is a hand-embroidered signature by the maker. The key motif is the boteh, known in the West as the paisley motif and thought to be a representation of the growing shoot of the date palm. This superb period shawl was probably hand embroidered in Persia for the Western market. | |
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#4129 $775 Handmade Brussels mixed lace lappet, late 19th century. The design combines floral bouquets of handmade bobbin lace with lace buttonholed rings that are hand appliquéd to a ground of fine net. The oversized lappet is worked in the finest possible thread, curving to accommodate the shape of the intricate floral pattern, and creating an ethereal quality not found in coarser machine copies. The exquisite lappet can be used to fashion a unique wedding veil. | |
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#6568 $950 Regency silk damask shawl, c.1820. The shawl is reversible with a rose/peach ground on one side and a gold ground on the other. The color is either muted or glowing, depending on the light. The stylized floral pattern, influenced by Kashmir shawl designs in vogue in the early 19th century, is softened by the pastel coloring. The shifting hue—rose to peach—gives vibrancy to this magnificent shawl. | |
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#4033 $750 Hand-embroidered valence, c.1880. The embroidery is bordered with a panel of aqua velvet finished with fancy fringe at the bottom. The hand-knotted silk fringe has delightful silk ball tassels that pick of the colors of the embroidery. The confident insouciance of the brilliant Art Nouveau design will brighten any room. | |
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#6225 $900 Flemish bobbin lace tablecloth, c.1705. Appraised as Flemish bobbin lace from Antwerp, the exquisite example of the lacemaker's art is a special find for the serious collector. The Baroque design is extraordinarily beautiful; the technical skilled exhibited is first rate. The little holes in the design are characteristic of Flemish bobbin lace from Antwerp. | |
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#1345 $950 Princess lace wedding shawl, c.1900. The design artfully combines rounded, hand-assembled Princess lace motifs with traditional tape lace; all are expertly hand-appliquéd on a fine net ground. In the gossamer pattern, the delicate tendrils joyously curl outward from the flowers, as if in anticipation of the nuptial vows. | |
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#4029 $1,500 Hand-assembled mixed lace shawl, 19th century. The airy lightness of the intricate lace design is a wonder to behold. The shawl has a soft, supple drape. The creative design features an ingeniously crafted ruffle of the top edge, which forms a graceful collar when folded over. The shape was built-in when the tapes were assembled. | |
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#6322 $850 Reticella lace cloth, c.1880. Reticella lace is named for the Italian city where these geometric designs originated in the 15th century. The lace had died out in northern Europe by the early 18th century. Like other antique laces, Reticella owed its revival in the late 19th century to Arts and Craft Movement. This fine beige linen cloth is embellished with whimsical hand-embroidered birds and handmade Reticella needlepoint lace. The linen lace is worked in a nice variety of geometric patterns. | |
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#0408 $650 Juschi silk shawl-size scarf, c.1980. Fashioned from heavy silk crepe and finished with a hand-rolled hem, this is a wearable painting—a brilliant evening accessory. The scarf features a stunning dreamscape of a group of exotic wild fowl. The subtle details reinforced by bold colors make a dramatic design statement. The large shawl size would be ideal over a coat: an emblem of a woman of luxurious and sophisticated taste. | |
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#1885 $375 Appliquéd felt pelmet, c.1890. Appliquéd in a whimsical manner with bouquets of felt and tufted wool daisies with velveteen leaves. The appliqués are embellished with gold silk chain stitch embroidery. Aqua silk ribbon with picot edges is threaded through slits in the decorative panels. Although the craftsmanship is skillful, the flower-and-hearts design motif has the appeal of naive folk art. | |
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#1198 $645 Reserved Grenadine sheer, fold-over silk shawl c.1860. What an elegant color scheme! The shawl is woven in a plaid design of handsome black, brown, and ivory. The edges are finished with a 4"-wide border of hand-knotted silk fringe. It measures 71" square, including the fringe. Large square shawls could be worn folded over to accommodate the crinoline skirts of the period. But the shawls were generally too heavy for wear in warm climates. Ultra-sheer silk shawls produced in Grenada perfectly solved this problem. They were exported to Europe for summer wear. | |
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#2039 $350 Beaded needlepoint pillow cover, c.1900. Beaded Calla lilies (the only plant known as both fruit and flower) set in a cluster of wool needlepoint leaves. Calla lilies have been a favored subject of graphic artists over the ages. These flowers have inspired rug makers, weavers, and painters, e.g., Tamara de Lempicka's 1941 painting Calla Lilies. Who can resist the robust florals and rich colors in this exceptional needlepoint work? |