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E F Hebert Paris
c 1855

Exhibition shawl from the Paris 1855 exhibition, the reverse printed in gold with EFH 1855 xxxx Medeille D'Honneur, jacquard woven in wool and silk, with plain black centre with signature, all within a diamond shape, pairs of gothic arches extending to the border, the ground filled with elegant elongated pines, exotic foliage, epaulette borders, all in shades of red, pink, orange, green, blue, ivory, brown and black, 11ft 6 in x 5 ft 1 in; 3.55 x 1.55 m

Comments

Stunning designs and great colours. This would look good as a wall hanging or for a collection. The pines woven into the black centre almost look like sea horses. Levi-Strauss, Monique The Cashmere Shawl p 50 Manufacturers had previously been weaving their initials into shawls but gradually found it cheaper to affix a gilt seal . This bore their initials, the cross of the Legion of Honour if this had been awarded to them, and a list of their exhibition medals and prizes. Their practice of imitating the signatures of Kashmir shawls by weaving signs into the small central field has proved frustrating as many have yet to be deciphered. E F Hebert took over his father's (M F Herbert) shawl business. In 1857 he depicted the life of a Parisian shawl weaver in an 1857 monograph entitled Tisseur en chales a Paris (I don't know how to get my computer to write accents!) published by F Le Play. The signature is not the same but similar to one on p 111.

Condition

There were a couple of small holes which my conservator has patched from behind, cleverly disguising the mend with a piece of reverse shawl. When the shawl is held up you cannot see the mend even from behind! There was also a 5 1/4 x 2 in. tear to one shawl corner which we have sewn back and is just a little noticeable. There are about 20 minute holes and some areas of slight wear which can only be seen from behind.