Shawl

This woven and printed shawl was made in Lyon about 1925. It is made of chiffon decorated with gilt threads and printed squares. Gold and silver clothing was particularly fashionable after the Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Lyon was famous for its silk industry, which had flourished since the 16th century. It was a major producer of luxury goods for a worldwide market. This was an era when the French government actively promoted this sector, since they sought to establish French design as the foremost in Europe.

Shawl · Lyon · ca. 1925. Printed silk chiffon with gilt threads. By Unknown. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.