French Cashmere Moon Shawl With A Blue Background—nîmes Or Lyon, Circa 1850

Circa 1850
France

This square French cashmere shawl with a blue background is known as a “moon shawl,” dating from the late Louis-Philippe period or the early Second French Empire. Probably from an unidentified manufacturer in Lyon or Nîmes, this delicate shawl is woven from seven-color cut-pile wool on a Jacquard loom. The design features a central moon and crescent moons in the spandrels, decorated with a “thousand flowers” motif, identical to Indian “Moon Shawls” from the same period. The blue-background field features a floral pattern dotted with long, slender palm leaves. Harlequin-patterned fringes are woven on two sides. A few rare and tiny moth holes are present but do not compromise the shawl’s structural integrity. The colors are as vibrant as when it was new. The shawl is in excellent condition in terms of color and overall preservation.

Dimensions: a square measuring 190 cm x 190 cm.