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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
The fabrics produced at Tassinari & Chatel are among the most sumptuous, most refined, most sought-after in the world of historic silks. In addition to exclusive made-to-order lengths for decorators and historic buildings, its Collection Patrimoine is comprised of historic re-editions that span the centuries from the Renaissance to Art Deco, a treasure for textile connoisseurs the world over. Rare are the manufacturers today capable of producing cloth of this level of technical and artistic perfection, but with a foundation that dates to 1680, this monument of textile history from Lyon has more than what it takes. Through the years, noble stones - Pernon and Grand Frères - have enriched the edifice. Today, the firm continues in the good hands of Patrick Lelièvre of the group Lelièvre.
So what is new in 2013? The savoir-faire gained through the centuries has met with the ancient tradition of contemporary design. After all, those cherished historic designs were contemporary at some point! Following in the footsteps of Revel, Pillement, and more recently Lalique and Karbowsky, Mr. Jean Boggio has worked with the mill to create new fabrics every bit as worthy of the silkweaver as his predecessors. It's is history in the making.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl taken at the Tisserand Bronzier d'Art stand of Maison & Objet |
Majestic lampas (brocade), Ispahan
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl taken at the Tisserand Bronzier d'Art stand of Maison & Objet |
Not many designs have been more fertile in textile history than the pomegranate. Ispahan places the mythical fruit among heady roses in a swirling Persian garden, at once lavish and playful.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
Baroque spirit and bizarre style: this may be Jean Boggio's first textile collection but he is no novice to textiles. He has not only chosen the quintessential textile fruit for Ispahan, but his design calls to mind that brief but exuberant period of Bizarre silks from 1695-1820, where fruit, flower and fantasy (very strange objects sometimes) are caught in a vortex creating lively, asymmetrical, sometimes surreal designs. The 18th century fabrics typically have a juxtaposition of brocaded decor with damask vegetal or shadow elements that give a moving, 3D quality. Here, note the artistry of multiple weave patterns in the decor. Instead of a damask ground, there is finely etched foliage created by the weft.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
The preliminary drawing of Jardin d'Eden from the hand of the artist, Jean Boggio...
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
and as interpreted on the looms of Tassinari & Chatel.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
The effect is exotic and modern in this smooth, etched satin. Funny, I see a wink to very ancient techniques,
just a suggestion of a Safawid incised twill here in this luscious, breathable atmosphere somewhere along the Silk Road.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
Soliman Border
To my way of thinking, borders are some of the most refined textile elements for ---
the elegant underlining of the contours of the velvet settee, drawing your eye to the moldings of the ceiling, tailoring the edges of the curtains.... We don't see enough borders, so it's nice to see this one and to know that Ispahan is available as border, too.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
Breaking with the vegetal world, but continuing the vocabulary of the designer, Petrouchka represents an acrobatic frolic with the stars, sun, and moon as props for the joyous jugglers who dance in pairs over this silk and linen brocatelle.
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
Cushions made of Petrouchka and Soliman
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| photo Gésbi /St Tyl |
The exotic baroque world of jeweler-silversmith and furnishing designer, Jean Boggio, is filled with themes of dreams, dance, and jungle flora with a style that has a certain affinity with Armand Albert Rateau.(I've written of the furnishings here.) The aesthete has an exhuberant, warm style and is clearly smitten with Tassinari & Chatel; he has an entire collection of vests fashioned with silks from the Collection Patrimoine that he wears close to his heart!
Almost bizarre, some of these silks, and I don't mean that negatively – "Bizarre" being a category of 18th-century designs for silks. Beautiful, that yellow damask with tumbling figures.
ReplyDeleteSo very true - I think I said that somewhere in there. But no, after a quick look, I see I edited it out. Just may have to put it back in, because the point is, after all, textile heritage and continuity in this renewal. Fortunately, I have an astute reader! The tumbling figures are some particular favorites in the Boggio world and that fabric is a brocatelle with a very nice, pronounced relief between ground and figures. I’m missing a close up.
ReplyDeleteoh dreamy! i only hope these manufacturers and designers can sustain themselves and their art in these crazy economic times. the people who have the money to support them don't always have the taste to properly appreciate them!
ReplyDeletethx for both lovely posts!
In any case, these are les valeurs sûres!
DeleteSo beautiful! Agree with Mlle Paradis. Reminds me of John Saladino's decorator's prayer: May all of the people with money get taste and all of the people with taste get money!
ReplyDeleteA little link to your childhood. Have you seen this: http://www.hazelnutneworleans.com/toile-fabric.shtml
Amen!
DeleteNice link - thank you. I must get that New Orleans toile to cover at least one chair. It makes me think of the Roulhac Toledano toile on the back cover of the book 'Southern Cosmopolitan.' I should be able to purchase one of them in person this summer.