The silk trade in Lyon began in the later fifteenth century, established by the French king, Louis XI and due to the demand for high end silks by the French aristocracy of this period, Lyon would not only act as a supplier of silks produced in the Orient and Italy, it would also go on to become one of the premiere producers of silk textiles not only within Europe but within the entire world, with an estimated 10,000 silk looms being in operation there already by the 1600's.
So what did these silks look like? Well, as one can expect, they would have had quite a range, following the tastes of the particular times, ranging from very bold and colourful floral patterns to others which were extremely subtle, frequently featuring beautiful metallics.
The following vestments, mainly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, give a selection of this latter palette, all made in Lyon.
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| 19th century |
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| ca. 1775 |
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| 1769 |
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| 1760-1770 |
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| 19th century |
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| 19th century |
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| 19th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 1769 |
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| 1750-1760 |
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| 1750-1775 |
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| 18th century |
