Trouvais...bien sur

An antique textile lover's diary

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18th century textures...shimmering pink silk taffeta child's dress and gilded shelf, tattered floral papier dominotes paperbacks and hand made floral trim...

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An 18th century French view this Spring morning...

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18th century silks...

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Once part of my collection, this beautiful 18th c Pompadour Pink Robe a la Francaise (Sack back) gown is now at Museum at FIT, and was part of their recent Pink exhibit (link below). Striking green reverse to the silk. 

https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/pink.php

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18th century...and the colors of Summer...favorites in my collection.

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Favorite collection pieces. 18th c Chinese hand painted gossamer silk, c 1770, an 18th c Qianlong period scalloped coupe plate has similar delicate flowers...raspberry magenta and bright green. Underskirt fashioned of 18th c pink silk shot through with silver threads...tiny rosette trimmed pink shoes...all collected over time and distance to tell me their story...

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At last Spring! Spring roses and pinks...from my collection of 18th century historical costume and antique Bourbon roses....Madame Earnest Calvat and Mademoiselle Isaac Pereire...

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Even the smallest scraps of 18th century silk are wonders for the imagination. Who wore these red satin shoes tucked beneath her voluminous 18th c skirts? Amazed how carefully they are passed down, generation by generation. Across families. Across countries. So many stories they could tell.

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Early 18th c raspberry silk faille frock coat panels, heavily embroidered with silver and sequins. Probably once sleeved with same silk faille, and longer...adapting with the times...

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Love the mix of floral and plaid...warm and cool shades deftly playing off each other. All 18th century froth...ribbons and ruffles and floral sprays...

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18th century French brocade...blue cornflowers on Pompadour pink grown, gold lilies and swag...with Bella Notte and Chinoiserie wallpaper...

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Early 18th century French“Lace” pattern silk, Robe à la Française. Shown with 18th c English silver embroidered stomacher from Althorp estate. Paste and silver necklace. Loose threads at sleeves where cuffs or ruffles would have been. Wonderful, glossy, mid weight, crisp textile, 19,5 inches selvedge to selvedge. Bright green on the reverse with linen panels to cinch in waist and pocket slits at hips. 

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18th century Robe l’Anglaise...a berries and cream colored rosy confection...

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More collected favorites...18th century brocaded silks...

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Rococo silks and metallics. France early to mid 18th century, Exoticism of worn Ottoman velvet mat, with it’s intricate silver embroidered frieze, leopard fur and feathers, an early gold thread worked stomacher with matching trim piece coiled on a Spitalfields brocade.