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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!
