Large 19th-century Cashmere Shawl. Lyon-paris Jacquard Fabric, 180 Cm Square, Decorative Textile Design

Large 19th-century French cashmere shawl, Lyon or Paris, paisley design, black central medallion, 180 x 180 cm

A very beautiful large 19th-century French cashmere shawl, likely from Lyon or Paris, featuring a large polychrome paisley design. A generously sized square shawl, 180 x 180 cm, featuring a large central black field and an elaborate, radiating design of palmettes, botehs, scrollwork, and stylized floral motifs.

This shawl belongs to the great tradition of 19th-century European cashmere shawls, inspired by Eastern designs from Kashmir and later reinterpreted by the major French textile centers. The design is particularly decorative: the black center forms a deep medallion, framed by a rich pattern of red, orange, turquoise blue, green, brown, and black. The large paisley motifs, or botehs, wrap generously around the center, creating a highly graphic and enveloping effect.

The quality of the design, the density of the pattern, the richness of the colors, and the weave structure point to a French production from the second half of the 19th century, likely Lyon or Paris. The shawl is beautifully supple and highly decorative, with colors that have remained very vivid, particularly the reds, oranges, blues, and blacks.

France, Lyon or Paris.
Circa 1860

Woven shawl with a paisley pattern.
Polychrome textile work, likely produced on a Jacquard loom.
Original fringes preserved.

Dimensions
180 x 180 cm.